Diamond Stars: The top baseball and softball performances on Long Island this week
Riverhead starting pitcher Mya Marelli delivers a pitch against Half Hollow Hills, in a League I softball game, Thursday, May 9, 2024 at Riverhead high school. Credit: George A Faella
Baseball and softball players wrapped up the regular season, the final week of high school ball for many student-athletes, with some outstanding pitching and hitting performances. Here are this week's Diamond Stars.
BASEBALL
Andrew Basel, Mineola: He struck out nine in a two-hitter, a 1-0 win over Valley Stream North.
Peter Bounougias, Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK: He struck out 12 and walked two in a six-inning no-hitter, a 10-0 win over Baldwin.
Luke Ciminiello, Smithtown East: He went 2-for-3 and doubled in the winning run in a 4-3 victory over Half Hollow Hills East. The win helped Smithtown East earn a share of the Suffolk League III title.
Christian Cox, Shoreham-Wading River: Cox a remarkable week in a three-game sweep over Glenn and finished the regular season with a school record .639 batting average. He had 15 hits in his final 16 at-bats, including seven extra-base hits in four games.
Jonathan Cruz, Westbury: He struck out 12 and threw a five-inning no-hitter, an 11-0 win over Roosevelt.
Matt Hesselbirg, Newfield: He allowed five hits and struck out five in six shutout innings in a 1-0 win over Suffolk League III champion Centereach in the season finale.
Nick Lang, Valley Stream North: Lang struck out 11 in a three-hitter, a 1-0 loss to Mineola.
Andre Mule, Island Trees: He struck out nine and allowed no earned runs in a 9-2 win over Cold Spring Harbor.
Connor Quinn, Wheatley: Quinn struck out seven and walked one in a five-inning no-hitter, a 10-0 win over West Hempstead. He also went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Tommy Rizzuto, Oyster Bay: He went 3-for-4 with six RBIs in a 12-2 win over Carle Place.
Aiden Rosen, Smithtown East: He struck out eight and allowed two hits in a 3-0 win over Half Hollow Hills East.
Dylan Ruland, Islip: Ruland struck out five in five innings in a 5-4 win over Mount Sinai. He also had a two-run double.
Jack Sauer, East Rockaway: He struck out 12 in a 3-0 win over Friends Academy.
SOFTBALL
Jaeda Bartfield, Holy Trinity: She struck out 16 and went 2-for-4 with a triple in a 7-0 win over Sacred Heart.
Kiara Bellido, Floyd: She went 2-for-4 and had a go-ahead RBI single in the sixth inning in a 7-5 win over Whitman.
Emily Bouros, West Islip: Bouros struck out 23 in 12 innings to earn the win in a 6-5 victory over Westhampton. She also had an RBI.
Addison Celi, Westhampton: She struck out 27 in 11 2/3 innings in a 6-5 loss to West Islip. She also went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a homer and two RBIs.
Kayla Denino, North Babylon: She went 2-for-4 and hit a go-ahead two-run single in a 4-1 win over Commack. She also went 3-for-4 and hit a tying two-run single in the sixth inning in a 10-6 win over Northport.
Danielle Donahue, Island Trees: Donahue struck out nine and allowed one hit in a 3-0 win over Long Beach.
Lia Fong, Bellmore JFK: She struck out 11 and allowed one run and three hits in a 4-1 win over Mepham. She also struck out eight and allowed one earned run in a 3-2 win over Calhoun.
Mya Marelli, Riverhead: She hit a walk-off single in the 10th inning in a 6-5 win over Half Hollow Hills. She also struck out 14 in 10 innings.
Erin McDaid, Smithtown West: McDaid went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a run and two stolen bases, and also struck out eight in a 3-0 win over East Islip. She also struck out 14 in six scoreless innings in a 12-6 win over Eastport-South Manor.
Lauren McSweeney, Islip: She struck out 13 and allowed four hits in a 5-0 win over Kings Park. She also struck out seven and allowed just two hits in a 4-1 win over Sayville.
Julia Parise, East Meadow: She allowed one earned run and went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer in a 4-1 win over MacArthur.
Sophia Pisacano, Herricks: She went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs in a 2-0 win over Long Beach.
Emma Powell, Center Moriches: Powell hit three home runs, including two grand slams, and had 13 RBIs in a 17-0 win over Southampton. She also pitched a five-inning one-hitter.
Julianna Russ, Ward Melville: She has thrown shutouts against four of her last six opponents. Russ allowed four hits in a 3-0 win over Floyd and allowed one hit and struck out six in a 9-0 win over Sachem East.
Maeve Schiereck, Massapequa: She went 4-for-5 with a three-run home run and four RBIs in a 14-10 win over Oceanside.
Delaney Schleider, Miller Place: She hit a tying two-run homer in the sixth inning and drove in the winning run in the top of the eighth in Miller Place's 4-3 win over Kings Park.
Madison Tarra, Hicksville: She hit two solo home runs in a 10-6 win over Carey.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.