Mepham softball off to fast start in playoffs with eye on title defense
Mepham's Alanna Morse makes the catch in front of Hailey Guerrero during a Nassau Conference I softball game against MacArthur in Levittown on Thursday, April 21, 2022. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
The defending Long Island and Nassau A softball champions are off to a strong start in their title defense. Mepham and first-year coach Tom Simone, have a pair of 12-0 victories in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
“This is the third year I’ve been around the team, first as a volunteer, then assistant,” Simone said. “Taking over the champions is a lot of responsibility.”
The second-seeded Pirates will play Plainedge in a best-of-three series beginning Sunday.
Newsday’s reigning Nassau Player of the Year Alanna Morse has gotten off to a hot start in the postseason, driving in seven runs.
“Aside from Alanna being a great athlete on the field, she’s a wonderful person,” Simone said. “She’s a dream to coach.”
Mepham has suffered two defeats to top-seeded MacArthur this season and it is likely they will need to get past them in the final round to defend their crown. This time they expect things to be different.
“We’re actually hitting our peak right now,” Simone said. “The girls will be up to the challenge if it gets to that point.”
WALK-OFF WINS
No. 5 Calhoun led 6-0 over No. 12 Wantagh, before Wantagh scored seven runs in the fifth. Gabriella Facciponti hit a walk-off single in the seventh to give Calhoun the win in the first round of the Nassau A playoffs.
Amber Danz came to the plate with two-outs in the eighth inning of a tie game and laced a walk-off single to give No. 2 Islip the win over No. 7 Bayport-Blue Point in the first round of the Suffolk A playoffs.
In the Nassau A quarterfinals MacArthur trailed No. 8 Bellmore JFK 3-2 in the seventh inning. Hailey Trapani drove in the tying run with a fielder’s choice. Presley Borne scored the winning run on a throwing error to give MacArthur a 4-3 win.
BABYLON McGURK SISTERS
Sisters Emily McGurk and Meghan McGurk have been driving forces for Babylon. Emily is a senior, hitting .552 with three home runs and 21 RBIs. She has not committed an error at shortstop.
Meghan is hitting .511 with four home runs and 28 RBIs. The sophomore has excelled in the circle, striking out 104 and pitching to a 1.86 ERA. In a first-round playoff game against Southold/Greenport, Meghan had three hits and struck out 10. Emily had three hits, a home run and three RBIs.
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.
