Pellegrino, Tedeschi lead Island Trees

First there was Nicole Pellegrino, who administered the muscle, then there was Taylor Tedeschi, who supplied the heart, and finally, what could aptly be called the Green Monster, which provided a boost all its own.

It was Pellegrino, Island Trees' junior shortstop, who went 5-for-5 with a home run and seven RBIs, and Tedeschi, a senior pitcher, who has spearheaded a seasonlong "Dream/Believe" campaign that has these Bulldogs dreaming and believing they can knock off perennial favorites Floral Park and Plainedge.

The Green Monster -- the bumpy, fenceless, seemingly endless abyss of an outfield at J. Fred Sparke Elementary -- proved monstrous enough to unravel No. 15 Lynbrook, as second-seeded Island Trees won, 22-1, in the first round of the Class A softball playoffs.

Island Trees (10-6) will host No. 7 Sewanhaka in a quarterfinal on Monday at 4:30 p.m. The Owls finish 8-9.

"[The home field] really does help," said Pellegrino, who led off the first with a solo home run that simply rolled and rolled and rolled. "With how our field is, when someone is coming in, they don't know the bumps and the hills. They don't know how far the ball is going to roll."

Pellegrino's homer tied the game at 1 and the Bulldogs erupted for four more runs in the inning. They scored another eight in the second, highlighted by Brittany Ciaramitaro's two-run single. She finished 2-for-2 with a solo home run (a liner down the leftfield line) and four RBIs.

While Tedeschi dominated, allowing two hits and two walks and striking out seven over five, it was clear her influence spanned beyond the circle.

SEE PHOTOSIsland Trees 22, Lynbrook 1

The ace, who sported eyeblack that read "Dream" and "Believe" on each cheek, said the two words -- a travel-team motivational tool she introduced during the season -- had become a rallying cry for these Bulldogs.

"I feel it," she said. "It's our team thing . . . it's so cliche, but our strength is our bond."

The progress, said coach Mike Bonsignore, is incredible. His team went from sometimes sloppy in preseason practices to one of the handful of favorites in a competitive class.

"I sat them down," after a particularly unsuccessful practice, he said, "and I asked them how they wanted me to coach them -- to get to the finals or to get through the regular season."

SEE PHOTOSNewsday's best high school photos

Island Trees has chosen.