Strong start for defending champs

East Meadow has picked up exactly where it left off on the softball diamond last season. The defending Nassau Class AA champions have run out of the gates to a 6-1 start and own a five-game winning streak after last Monday’s 8-6 Conference AA-I victory over Mepham.

Senior first baseman Jamie Laird, an All-State and All-County honoree a season ago, has taken her game to an even higher level so far. Through the first six games, Laird, who batted .440 as a junior, racked up nine hits in her first 11 official at-bats and also had four walks. Included among the hits were a staggering four home runs and 13 RBI. “She’s always been a great hitter and had a great year last year,” coach Cindy McCarthy said. “But she knew she’d have to step up.”

Laird has moved to the No. 3 spot in the lineup from cleanup and become the driving force on an offense that also features a new leadoff hitter, senior centerfielder Samantha Miller, and freshman Marisa San Antonio in the No. 2 slot. The two table-setters have provided instant spark and offer East Meadow a variety of options at the top of the lineup, while sophomore designated hitter Emma McKillop generates runs as the new cleanup hitter. San Antonio, in particular, has been a difficult matchup for every pitcher and not just because she’s a switch hitter. “She’s been doing a good job moving people over and also getting on base,” McCarthy said. “She can keep a defense on its toes, she’s quick, she can bunt or slap [hit].”

Junior Amanda Carlin has taken over the reins in the pitching circle and received plenty of support from the Lady Jets lineup. While Laird was the hitting hero in a 10-9 victory over MacArthur on April 7, freshman catcher Madison West generated a run with a solo homer in a 5-2 win over Farmingdale the previous day, while sophomore third baseman Taylor Conti drove in a pair as part of a 3-for-5 day in a 9-0 win over Long Beach on April 5. Junior left fielder Becky Syers kicked off the winning streak by driving in two runs to help push the Lady Jets past Carey, 7-2, on April 4.