Mepham edged in semifinals

Pitching and defense took third-seeded Mepham (14-6 overall) as far as it could in the third and deciding game of the Nassau Class AA semifinals against No. 2 MacArthur — the defending County champions — last Friday. Lady Pirates junior All-County pitcher ToniMarie Valeriano allowed five hits and three walks and struck out six, while sophomore first baseman Nicole Moccio ended the Lady Generals rally in the third by turning a liner into an inning-ending double play.

But the offense ran into a pair of strong-armed throws by MacArthur catcher Kristin Daly that cut down a runner at third in the sixth and at second in the seventh, short-circuiting late-game rallies in a 2-1 defeat.

“When the ball hits the backstop it’s almost an automatic base,” Lady Generals coach Bob Fehrenbach said of the sixth-inning throw. “But [Kristin] just took it and fired it from her knees. She’s got the green light [to throw] every time.”

“She had to make two perfect throws to get the runner out,” Mepham coach Mike Muscara said.

The top of the seventh could be considered one of the stranger innings for any team in any season. Sophomore Nicole Aliberti reached on a bloop that was dropped in short left by the shortstop but was thrown out at second by Daly on a pitch in the dirt. Junior Stefanie Warner followed with a walk but sophomore Alexa Morris’ single to right hung just enough that it forced Warner to guard against being doubled off first to end the game. The right fielder scooped the ball on a hop and created a force at second. Junior Christine Rizzacasa boomed a double in between two outfielders and the shortstop putting the game-winning run in scoring position before MacArthur’s Ashley Massoni ended the game with her third strikeout.

“We had some timely hits, we just couldn’t get the big one that put us over the top,” Muscara said.