Emily Bouros escapes early jam, pitches West Islip softball to victory over Smithtown West

Emily Bouros was in trouble right off the bat in this Suffolk II softball game at Smithtown West, serving up a single and a walk to start the home first.

“In the circle, you just have to remember that you can’t go back and change anything,” West Islip’s freshman lefty said. “You just have to focus on the next batter and the next pitch.”

As she proceeded to do. Strikeout swinging. Strikeout swinging. Strikeout swinging. Threat over.

Bouros called it “a confidence boost” and went on to toss a brilliant game Wednesday, allowing just two singles and three walks and striking out 10 en route to a 2-0 win, the Lions’ sixth in a row.

“Listen, she’s come through when we’ve needed her, especially down the stretch,” coach Colleen Reilly said. “Absolutely incredible.”

Bouros (9-6) threw credit at senior catcher Katie Fix and everyone else but herself.

“My catcher frames a lot of my pitches and I couldn’t do it without her,” Bouros said. “I couldn’t do it without my fielders making the plays.”

This team has made enough plays to go 13-6 overall and 13-4 in the league with one regular-season game remaining before the Suffolk AA playoffs begin next week. West Islip’s last county crown came in 2004.

“That’s been our goal since day one,” Reilly said. “We’ve had two successful seasons back to back, co-league champs last year. We had some challenges in the beginning, but this team has come together.”

Or as Fix said, “I think we’re very confident that we’re going to go very far this year.”

Fix drove a sacrifice fly to center to make it 1-0 in the third after an error, a fielder’s choice and an infield single loaded the bases with no outs against starter Jaci Reisen (1-2).

“Hit it well, hit it hard — that’s my motto,” Fix said.

The Lions added another unearned run off reliever Erin McDaid in the fifth on Bouros’ RBI groundout.

Bouros then stranded runners at first and second in the bottom half and another at second in the sixth.

“She always complains about her curveball in warmups,” Fix said, “but then when we get into the game, somehow it works perfectly.”

So Smithtown West fell to 11-6 overall and in the league.

“In this sport, the pitcher dominates, and when the pitcher’s on, the pitcher’s on,” coach Mike Forman said. “Today we had to struggle to get runners on.”