Alanna Morse delivers, but Mepham loses in softball state semis
Mepham's Alanna Morse drills a two RBI triple to deep left field against Webster-Schroeder in the New York State Class A Semi Finals, Saturday, June 11, 2022 at Moriches Athletic Complex. Credit: George A Faella
When Alanna Morse drove a ball to right field in the fifth inning, all the momentum shifted to Mepham. The senior did what she has done so often for the Pirates, come up big in big moments, but her heroics wouldn’t be enough this time.
“Every time I get up there, I just say ‘what does my team need?’,” Morse said. “I just try to do whatever my team needs, I put it all out there on the field.”
Webster Schroeder (Section V) defeated Mepham 4-2, on Saturday afternoon in the Class A State softball semifinals at the Moriches Athletic Complex. Morse had two hits and two RBIs. Lily Yepez had two hits, scored a and stole a base. Krislyn Clement hit a two-RBI double for Webster Schroeder.
Morse’s liner to right with two outs sped past the rightfielder and made it all the way to the wall. Brianna Gonzalez and Lily Yepez each scored on the play and Morse blew past a stop sign attempting to stretch her triple into an inside-the-park home run. The ball got to the catcher with time to spare and Morse took a hard spill trying to elude the tag.
Mepham took a 2-1 lead and seemed to be set up nicely with Giselle DeLutri pitching well. To that point Webster Schoreder’s lone run came on a throwing error and DeLutri had allowed just two hits, with neither left the infield.
Webster Schroeder’s shortstop Clement made two terrific diving plays to take hits away from Mepham with runners in scoring position and stole Mepham’s momentum as she launched a ball to the top of the fence with two outs to score two runs. Elizabeth Baglieri followed that up with a double of her own to the wall and gave Webster Schroeder a 4-2 lead.
“Sometimes the game just doesn’t go how you planned,” Morse said. “We worked and changed our approaches, but sometimes it’s just not your day.”
Mepham went down quietly in the sixth and Yepez was hit by a pitch with two outs in the seventh to bring the tying run to the plate, but a groundout to third base ended the Pirates’ season with Morse standing on deck.
Mepham (19-5) will look very different next season as they graduate eight seniors, including Morse and their star shortstop Hailey Guerrero. Those seniors exit off a season that included the Pirates third straight Nassau Class A championship and second consecutive Class A Long Island Championship.
“I’m not disappointed at all with these girls, just getting to states is a huge accomplishment,” coach Tom Simone said. “Three peat county champ and back-to-back Long Island, I’m more than please with that.”
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.
