Conference title in Baldwin's sight

Posted

The Baldwin softball team is making sure it has enough wins to make the playoffs this time.

After missing the postseason party in 2022 despite an 11-win campaign, the Bruins are on the brink of making the playoffs and claiming the division title thanks to a 11-3 mark in Conference III play and 13-5 overall. They swept the season series with second-place Mineola to own the tiebreaker, which highlighted a recent run of 11 victories in 13 tries.

The Bruins need to beat either South Side or Port Washington this week to guarantee their spot.

“We have a lot of experience and this has kind of been the goal in the beginning with this group of girls,” coach Tom Llewellyn said. “The 1 through 9 in the lineup is all performing right now. It’s really been a great team effort.”

Baldwin rallied to win five times during that run, including both games against Mineola. The Bruins were down six runs against the Mustangs before rebounding to win 11-8 on March 30 and Brianna Walters’ go-ahead infield single in the fifth inning staked her team to a huge 2-1 triumph in the rematch on April 27.

“Up until [May 4], we were the only team to score more than one run off of her,” Llewellyn said of Mineola ace Brianna Voyer. “The thing we really preached this year is control what you can control, and we’ve been controlling the energy.”

Walters was a central figure in all of the rallies. The senior left fielder went 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs as the Bruins came back from five runs down to beat Valley Stream North April 14 and blasted the tiebreaking double in the bottom of the sixth in a 7-5 win over Lynbrook April 25.

“If you asked who probably really popped out of left field it’s her,” Llewellyn said with a pun. “She has just attacked this game with a confidence level that I haven’t seen from her coming into the season. She wants the moment.”

Senior center fielder Dylan Reyer is poised for a third All-County honor with her Rickey Henderson-like play this year. Entering last Saturday’s game against North, Reyer was 44-for-44 in steal attempts this spring – she’s two away from 100 career swipes – and had an on-base percentage of .727 with 17 RBIs and 39 runs scored from the leadoff spot.

“She does it all,” Llewellyn said. “She has a good eye, she walks [and] she can bunt on you. If you look at the 44 stolen bases, a walk for her is a double. A single for her turns into a double. What she’s doing I’ve personally never seen.”

Junior pitcher Kate Heuser (.444 BA, 30 RBIs) and sophomores Erin Timmes (29 RBIs) and Jadyn Culbreath (3 home runs) are also having strong offensive seasons.

Heuser is among the county leaders with 13 wins and has been helped by a defense that also features first baseman Emma Grochowski, the double-play combination of senior twins Jessica and Taylor Darcy and sophomore right fielder Averi Thomas.