VSC just misses playoff bid

Valley Stream Central capped a successful softball season by winning four of its last five Conference AA-II games, but the lone defeat down the stretch proved costly.

The Lady Eagles’ dropped a 3-1 pitcher’s duel at Farmingdale on May 7 in a battle for a coveted spot in the Nassau Class AA playoffs. Jocelyn Santiago tossed a two-hitter for the Lady Dalers and recorded the final out on a comebacker with the tying run at second base. Junior pitcher Tiffany Longarzo, who worked every inning in the circle—except one—for Central (12-5) in 2015, allowed four hits.

“We had playoff aspirations and came up just short,” coach Artie Riccio said. “We hit the ball hard, just right at them. Farmingdale’s pitcher made like six or seven great plays on shots up the middle.”

Senior Randi Ruderman had a hard-hit smash caught at third with the tying runs on base. “A foot either way and we’ve got the game tied,” Riccio said. “Sometimes you need a little luck. We just didn’t have any luck that day.

“The girls wanted so badly to make the playoffs,” he added. “It was tough to finish third, but the conference had a lot of good teams and we had a great year.”

Every senior on the roster started the finale last Friday and the Lady Eagles rolled past improved Hempstead, 14-2. Senior Kim Contreras had four hits, including a home run, and drove in six runs, and Longarzo added a homer and three RBIs to lead the offense. “It was a great way to finish,” Riccio said.

The Hempstead game was Central’s fourth in five days. Earlier last week, Longarzo tossed her second no-hitter of the season and got plenty of run support in a blowout victory over Westbury. On the year, Longarzo worked 98 innings and struck out 124 while walking only 18.

“Tiffany is an All-County candidate,” Riccio said of Longarzo, who also went 29-for-61 at the plate and led the team in RBIs. “She works so hard. Some days, we just didn’t get the clutch hits we needed to get over the top. She kept us in every single game.”

Central split four one-run games this spring. Riccio said its biggest win came April 24 against eventual conference champion Baldwin. The Lady Eagles scored three runs in the first, including two on junior Alyssa Picillo’s double, and were clinging to a 3-2 lead in the top of the seventh with the tying run on third base and none out. Longarzo struck out three straight batters to end it.

Key returnees will be Longarzo, Picillo at second base, Laura Johanson (.350 average) at first, and Jennifer Dignam in left. Replacing Ruderman (.362) at shortstop, Jasmine Garden (.451) at third, Amanda Picillo (.431) behind the plate, Kayla Diedrick (.500) in center field, and Contreras in right will be a challenge, Riccio said.

“I couldn’t be more proud of how hard the girls worked and how much they improved,” Riccio said. “As a coach, that’s all I can really ask.”