Monday, May 19, 2025
In just his second year at the helm of the West Babylon softball program, coach Joe Montanino is quickly making his mark. After spending three seasons building up the Copiague program, Montanino brought his energy, toughness, and team-first mentality to West Babylon and it’s clear the Eagles have bought in.
“This is such a deep team,” Montanino said. “Everyone contributes at a high level. Everything we do is team oriented.”
That culture has become the heartbeat of West Babylon softball and it showed April 23 when the Eagles defeated visiting West Islip, 7-2.
“They won that game on nothing but toughness,” Montanino said. “They took some punches, but they just kept fighting. Timely hits, great pitching, smart base running. These girls stuck to the game plan and played with a will to win that’s hard to teach.”
The Eagles’ pitching was rock solid. Junior Autumn Romano went six strong innings, allowing just one run while striking out 10. “She’s been incredible all season,” Montanino said.
Sophomore Kayleigh Carlson came on to close out the seventh with a scoreless inning, locking down the win. Sophomore Lily Johnson also gives the Eagles quality innings in the circle, adding even more depth to the rotation.
Offensively, the lineup delivered from top to bottom. Junior outfielder Sarah Caltabiano went 2-for-2 with two doubles, two RBIs, and a run scored. eighth grader Lauren Giudice added a double and an RBI. Autumn Romano helped her own cause with a 2-for-3 day, scoring twice and stealing a base. Sophomore Maria Fiume chipped in with an RBI single, while junior Jill Goldberg added a hit and drove in a run.
The win over West Islip was the seventh straight for West Babylon, improving the Eagles’ record to 9-1 overall with a 5-1 record in league play, keeping them in a tight race for first place in the League IV standings with East Islip who has a 6-1 league record.
What’s most impressive about this group is how seamlessly they support one another. “Even if someone goes 0-for-4, they still find a way to contribute,” Montanino said. “That’s the mentality. Nobody’s chasing personal stats. Everything we do is for the team.”
Senior Daniella Nocera continues to swing a hot bat, hitting .385, while senior Storm Romano, described by Montanino as “ the leader of the team” has been on fire, batting .500. Leadoff hitter Eliza Tymann is having a great sophomore season. “She sets the tone at the top of the order,” said Montanino. “She does all the little things that don’t always show up on the stat sheet.” Even seventh grader Scarlett Tymann is making her presence felt, proving that West Babylon’s depth goes well beyond experience.
Montanino really wanted to stress the fact that everything is done as a team. “I could say something great about each and every one of these players because they are all such key pieces,” he said. “I could just go on and on about how proud I am of them.”
