Hailey Guerrero, Giselle DeLutri propel Mepham to LI Class A softball title
Mepham softball gathers on the field after the win against East Islip in the Long Island Class A softball finals, Saturday, June 4, 2022 at the Moriches Athletic Complex. Credit: George A Faella
New year with a new head coach, but the same results seem to happen for Mepham softball.
A Nassau Class A title once again secured and even with the daunting test of facing Suffolk’s top pitcher in Kyra Kreuscher, Mepham's Hailey Guerrero and new coach Tom Simone passed with flying colors.
Mepham defeated East Islip, 8-3, on Saturday morning at the Moriches Athletic Complex to win their second consecutive Class A Long Island championship/ Southeast Regional Final.
Guerrero had three hits and three RBIs. Pitcher Giselle DeLutri struck out nine, had a hit and scored a run. Kreuscher struck out eight, scored a run and had a RBI for East Islip.
The matchup of East Islip’s Kreuscher and Mepham’s DeLutri was a pitching aficionado’s dream, but Mepham’s bats quickly inserted themselves. Guerrero reached base on a single and stole second, setting herself up to score on an error with two outs in the top of the second.
Alana Morse was able to score the second run in the fourth after Guerrero's double moved her from first to third and then Gia Miccio's sacrifice fly brought her home.
“I was just trying to do anything I could for my team,” Guerrero said. “We play as one, we pick each other up and do whatever we can to help each other.”
Morse hit into a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded to drive in a run and set the stage for Guerrero in the fifth. She knocked a single to center to drive in two runs and make the score 5-0.
“ I knew I needed to hit to get on base,” Guerrero said. “That’s what I wanted to do, so I went out there and just did it.”
DeLutri was able to keep East Islip at bay for the first five innings, despite runners on second and third with no outs in the third and a runner on second with no outs in the fifth.
“I think me and [Kreuscher] are pretty equal, we’re both great pitchers,” DeLutri said. “Obviously someone had to have the better day today and I’m glad it was me.”
In the sixth East Islip finally broke through. Kreuscher drove home Emily DePinto with a single. An error then allowed Madison Sturtz to score and Kruescher came home with the third run on an Alyssa Benvengo single.
Mepham ended East Islip’s hopes with three runs of its own in the top of the seventh. Miccio hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded to score a run and Kylie Persampire hit a two-out, two-run single to extend Mepham’s lead to 8-3 and put the game to bed.
“I personally love the fast pitching, I think it’s the most fun to hit,” Persampire said. “It was a mistake on an inside pitch that I was able to drive and bring in a few runs.”
First-year coach Simone now prepares Mepham (19-4) for the State semifinals on June 11th at the Moriches Athletic Complex.
“Being the head coach is a whole different thing from being assistant, these girls are counting on me and it’s definitely hard,” Simone said. “But I’ve been working them hard all year, so we’ll be ready for states."
Christopher Matias covers high school sports for Newsday after spending time in Athletic Facilities and Operation at St. John’s and in Sports Information at CUNY York college.
