Rally time for Lady Falcons

Valley Stream South’s softball team is doing its best to repeat history.

After winning seven of their last eight regular-season games in each of the past two years, and seven of nine to close out 2012, the Lady Falcons are heating up down the stretch again with a playoff spot on the radar. They’ve won a season-high four straight, including a 6-4 home victory over Conference AB-III leader East Rockaway on April 30, to move into the race for one of two guaranteed berths for Class A schools.

“We’ve got a great group of girls and there’s still hope for the playoffs,” VSS coach Demetri Adrahtas said. “Over the past three years, we’ve constantly ended playing so well. We’re getting timely hitting and our defense has made strides, but ultimately we go as Brianna [Schippell] goes in the pitching circle.”

Schippell, a junior who appears well on her way to a third consecutive All-County campaign, continued a tremendous spring by holding East Rockaway to a season-low total in runs. She scattered seven hits, walked two and struck out four, and only one of the runs allowed was earned. She also knocked in three runs, giving her 29 RBIs on the year to go with seven homers.

“Brianna’s an All-County shortstop who became our pitcher by necessity,” Adrahtas said. “She throws as hard as anyone in the conference, and she’s also arguably the best hitter in the conference. She’s worked hard on developing a change-up, and when that pitch is on for her she’s tough to hit.”

Schippell also started a 1-3-2 triple play in the top of the sixth inning with South holding a 5-3 lead. She caught a line drive for one out, doubled the runner off first for the second out, and junior Victoria Martucciello nailed a runner trying to score from third base for the final out. “It had the look of an inning that might cost us the game,” Adrahtas said. “Then all of a sudden we’re out of the jam on one pitch.”

Junior Manalli Inniss provided an insurance run in the bottom of the inning, leading off with a triple and scoring on senior Jen Schoch’s sacrifice fly. Schoch also scored two runs in the game.

“East Rockaway had one game of scoring less than 10 runs, so it was our best win of the year so far,” said Adrahtas, who guided the Lady Falcons to a conference title last spring.
South’s winning streak started in come-from-behind fashion on April 27 when it rallied from a four-run deficit to beat West Hempstead, 6-4. A three-run rally in the fifth was the difference. Schippell homered to tie it, and Schoch’s two-run single won it.

The following day, the Lady Falcons trailed early again at Sewanhaka but rallied behind a pair of Schippell homers, including a grand slam in the sixth, to take a 10-6 decision. Senior Katie Shields (.454 batting average) drove in the eventual winning run on a sacrifice fly, scoring Inniss.