Mila Fiordalisi's dominance in circle has St. Anthony's softball in charge

Mila Fiordalisi has been in command of the circle to start the season.

St. Anthony’s has allowed two runs in 13 games, due in large part to the senior pitcher’s dominance.

Through 55 innings, Fiordalisi has a 0.25 ERA, 0.53 WHIP, 119 strikeouts and .062 opponent batting average. The Cornell commit threw a seven-inning no-hitter in a 7-0 win over Kellenberg on April 12 and has twirled several abbreviated gems, including a five-inning perfect game in an 8-0 win over St. Joseph Sea last Saturday.

“I used the offseason to work a lot on finessing my pitches,” Fiordalisi said. “I have better control of when they break and more control of the rise. I’ve gotten better at knowing when to throw what at a batter and how they’ll react to it.”

Fiordalisi has received plenty of run support and no Friar has stood out more than Juli Murillo. The junior is batting .654 with a 1.851 OPS, two home runs, 14 RBIs and has struck out just once.

“She’s been incredible. You can make the case that she’s been our best player so far,” St. Anthony’s coach Mike Massa said.

It’s already been a historic year for Massa, who earned his 500th career win on April 9 when the Friars (13-0) defeated St. John the Baptist, 10-0.

“I’ve had great teams, great players and assistants. I can’t do it alone,” Massa said. “The kids have committed themselves to bringing the program to prominence.”

The Friars reached new heights Thursday, being ranked No. 14 in the nation in the USA Today/NFCA High School Coaches Poll. It’s the first time St. Anthony’s, which has won three straight state CHSAA titles, has been recognized by the poll.

“One of our goals this season was to get nationally recognized, so to get that after playing good team after good team was a big deal for us,” Fiordalisi said. “Just because we got recognized, it doesn’t mean we can stop now. It should make us want to get better, not be complacent.”

Riverhead stars shine

There aren’t many teams sporting a zero in the loss column after 12 games. For Riverhead, that record is a testament to a group of players excelling.

Riverhead returned 10 players this season, including junior pitcher Mya Marelli. Marelli has tossed 68.1 innings, striking out 132 and posting a 0.92 ERA. Riverhead currently sits atop League I, ahead of Sachem East. In a 1-0 win against Sachem East Wednesday, Marelli struck out 13 and drove in the only run.

“She has a competitive drive and a desire for excellence,” Riverhead coach Richard Vlacci said. “She’s extremely humble but wants to go out and dominate every game.”

Kaysee Mojo’s defense and familiarity with Marelli have been integral to preventing runs. The senior catcher has provided plenty of power, leading the team in home runs with three and posting a 1.266 OPS.

It isn’t just the upperclassmen leading the charge, freshman Sam Viola has set the table with a .459 average and .545 OBP. She patrols centerfield and is a staple atop Riverhead’s lineup.

“I’ve changed the lineup often this year, but she’s one person I haven’t moved,” Vlacci said. “It’s great to have confidence in your leadoff hitter, even at that age. She brings tremendous maturity to the plate.”

Sophomore Jordyn Kwasna has been the team’s most productive hitter. The rightfielder leads the team in batting average (.564), OBP (.609) and slugging (.949).

“We have 13 girls, each plays a vital role,” Vlacci said. “They were one game away from reaching the county finals last year and they’re hungry to get back and win it all.”

Manhasset outlasts Lynbrook

Manhasset took on Lynbrook on Thursday and used an offensive outburst to pick up a 15-9 win, in a battle between Nassau’s last remaining unbeaten teams.

Giana Cerrone had three hits and drove in three runs in the win. The senior led Long Island with 16 home runs last season and has seven this season. The shortstop is hitting .821 and slugging 1.857.

Catcher Alex Tiliakos also had three hits and three RBIs against Lynbrook. She is hitting .607 and third baseman Lily Kaye is hitting .710 this season. Manhasset (9-0) has scored at least 11 runs in every game and 141 total.