Back-to-back L.I. crowns for East Rockaway

East Rockaway sophomore pitcher Emily Chelius set the tone early against Southold in the Long Island Class C softball title game at Hofstra on June 1, striking out the side in the top of the first.

Chelius added eight more Ks, allowed no hits through four innings and helped her own cause with two-run double in the fifth as the Lady Rocks repeated as L.I. champs with a 5-0 victory.

“When you have a top-caliber pitcher who puts in the work all year and gets to this stage, it’s their time,” East Rockaway coach Joe Lores said. “Emily has big-game experience and was amped up. She established herself in the first inning, and the girls played solid defense behind her.”

Chelius received all the support she would need in the bottom of the first when sophomore Lia Gladstone, who went 3-for-3, doubled home senior Michele Sheridan, who had two hits, reached base in all three plate appearances and scored three times.

“Michele showed she was a good hitter last year,” Lores said of Sheridan, who sparked East Rockaway immediately with a single and stolen base. “She started the season at the bottom of the order, but she began to show signs of coming around so I moved her to the top and she’s been great.”

Sheridan led off again in the third and ignited a two-run rally with the first of four straight singles. Chelius, senior catcher Jessica Loyer and Gladstone all followed with hits. Loyer drove in Sheridan, who stole third base as Chelius swiped second. Chelius scored to make it 3-0 on a fielder’s choice RBI groundout by junior Sarah Donnelly.

“I love being in the leadoff spot,” Sheridan said. “I know if I get on base, there’s a good chance my teammates will drive me in.”

The Lady Rocks (8-12) scored two unearned runs with two outs in the fourth to increase their lead to 5-0. Back-to-back infield errors by Southold proved costly when Chelius drilled a delivery from counterpart Ashley Hilary into the gap in right-center, bringing home senior Diana Locoteta and Sheridan. 

“Our team has come such a long way,” Sheridan said. “We’ve grown a lot. It was fun going upstate last year, and we really want to win this time.”

Southold’s Hannah Sutton broke up Chelius’s no-hitter with a double in the top of the fifth. Sutton reached third base on a wild pitch but was left stranded after two strikeouts and a line drive back to Chelius.

The Lady Clippers also had leadoff singles in the sixth and seventh, but neither runner advanced. Chelius got two infield pop-ups and a strikeout in the sixth and another K for the first out of the seventh before freshman shortstop Hunter Vertuccio turned a nifty game-ending double play.

“It feels awesome,” Chelius said. “This was probably the best game we’ve played all season.”