Seaford softball wins its second straight Nassau crown with Class A final victory over Wantagh
Katie Young #21 of Seaford connects for a three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning to extend the Vikings' lead over Wantagh to 6-2 in the third and deciding game of the Nassau County softball Class A final at Farmingdale State College on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. Credit: James Escher
When Seaford junior catcher Katie Young lifted her head after connecting with a pitch in the top of the seventh inning, she was initially disappointed.
“Honestly, I thought it was going to be a pop-up,” she said.
But the ball kept going and going. And before Young even knew it, she had hit a three-run home run to give her team a four-run lead. It sealed No. 2 Seaford’s 6-2 win over No. 1 Wantagh in a deciding Game 3 of the Nassau Class A championship Tuesday at Farmingdale State.
The win gives Seaford its second county title in as many years after winning the Long Island championship for Class B in 2023.
“When I saw it over the fence, it was just all happiness,” Young said.
Young also delivered a perfectly placed bunt in the fifth inning to score Jayne Singleton with Seaford's second run. Singleton entered as a courtesy runner after Skyler Secondino walked.
Seaford (15-5) will play Suffolk champion Miller Place (19-4) in the Long Island Class A championship Thursday at 5 p.m.
The relationship between Young and pitcher Secondino is as tight as it seems to be on the field. Secondino said that while the duo will fight at times as teammates do, the two have a trust that produces results on the diamond.
“On and off the field, we’re like sisters,” Secondino said. “I know she has my back, and I have her back.”
“You can’t keep them apart,” coach Joe Nastasi said. “It’s a relationship I’ve watched grow since they were freshmen and it’s a relationship that keeps getting better and better.”
Secondino was equally impressive in a must-win game for the Vikings, striking out eight in a complete game while allowing two runs and nine hits. And she was helped by her defense, which threw a runner out at third on a crucial play while nursing a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth.
Wantagh (17-5) put up a fight to the very end. It loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh with the potential tying run at the plate before Secondino forced a fly out to senior captain Jessica Hearing for the final out of the series.
Seaford junior Kaitlyn Young scored a run, going 2-for-4 with a RBI. Senior Alexa Villeck helped Seaford start strong from the leadoff spot, going 3-for-4 with a run. Junior Alyssa Rodriguez added a RBI single.
