Kristen Bricker, Chrissy Milone lead Sayville to LI crown

Kristen Bricker and Chrissy Milone made a nice one-two punch Tuesday for the Sayville softball team in its Long Island softball Class A championship game against Island Trees.

First baseman Bricker and the designated player Milone took advantage with runners in scoring position in all three of their at-bats to lead the Golden Flashes to a 7-5 victory, and repeat as Long Island champions, at St. Joseph's College in Patchogue.

Bricker finished 2-for-2, with a double, four RBIs and a run, while Milone went 3-for-3, with a double, two RBIs and a run to give Sayville (23-4) an opportunity to defend its state championship Saturday at the Adirondack Sports Complex in Queensbury (Section II).

"Amazing," Bricker said. "We were joking around yesterday at Applebee's talking about what an experience this would be, what it would be like to do it again. Talent can only get you so far. You have to come together and have each other's back."

After Cindy Griffin singled to load the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the first, Bricker's sacrifice fly gave Sayville a 1-0 lead. With two outs, Milone's infield single scored Cindy Griffin to make it 2-0 for the Golden Flashes.

"I hope one day I hit like her," Milone said of Bricker. "She can hit the inside pitches, the outside pitches. She's just a great, awesome hitter."

Morgan Petry's RBI triple plated Tori Tedeschi to give Island Trees its first run in the top of the second.

SEE PHOTOSSayville vs. Island Trees Class A championship

But Bricker and Milone weren't done. Bricker's one-out double to leftfield plated Jessica Griffin to make it 3-1, before Milone's RBI double to center and starting pitcher Julia Simpson's RBI double to right capped the three-run frame with Sayville on top 5-1.

"My hits would have been nothing without the base runners," said Milone, a first-year varsity player, who saw Jessica and Cindy Griffin score four of the Golden Flashes' seven runs. "It's really surreal. I couldn't ask for a better family behind me."

Island Trees starter Alannah Basile wouldn't allow the Bulldogs (19-7) to go down quietly. Her two-run homer in the top of the fourth capped a three-run inning to trim Sayville's lead to one.

"I knew they were able to hit," Basile said. "Probably the greatest at-bats I've faced all year. They did really good. I just had to give my all. Knew it could be our last game, just leave it all here."

Bulldogs coach Michael Bonsignore was complimentary of the Golden Flashes afterward, saying the defending state champs "made the adjustments and we didn't. We were extremely confident coming in."

Golden Flashes coach Tiffany Rowan said, "You can teach a lot of things, but you can't teach heart."