Carey adds to win streak

In a rare high school sporting event without a senior participant on either side, Carey kept its hot streak going with an 8-4 victory at Seaford in a Nassau Conference ABC-I/II softball crossover game on April 16.

The Lady Seahawks did all of their damage in the first two innings against Lady Vikings freshman pitcher Ashley Casazza, who allowed only one hit over the last five frames. Junior Alyssa Petrancosta and sophomore Samantha Romanello each drove in a pair of runs for Carey, which captured its sixth straight game and improved to 7-1 in conference play. Seaford (3-4) got a home run, two singles and three RBIs from sophomore Erin Russell.

“We’ve had a good team for the past five years,” Carey coach Anthony Turco said. “Even though we have no seniors, we haven’t held back talking about going from good to great. They’re the prototypical team that wants to be a successful team.”

Left-handed table-setters Brianna Pinto, a freshman, and Amanda Ulzheimer, a sophomore, both reached base in each of the first two innings and came around to score. The Lady Seahawks were up 5-0 before starting sophomore pitcher Rebecca Vilchez faced a batter. Romanello’s two-run triple capped the first-inning outburst.

Seaford answered in the bottom of the inning when Casazza led off with a single and Russell followed with a two-run blast to right. 

In the second, Pinto had a one-out single, stole second, went to third on an error and scored on Ulzheimer’s single. It was 8-2 after Vilchez and Petrancosta drove in runs.

“Our leadoff and No. 2 batters give teams fits,” Turco said of Pinto and Ulzheimer. “Brianna has so much presence. Watching her, you think she’s been playing 20 years. She has tremendous poise and speed. Amanda can hit for power or slap the ball.” 

Vilchez, who worked into the fifth inning, got out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the third when the defense threw out Seaford runners at the plate and third base. In the fifth, the hosts scored twice and were looking for more with bases loaded when junior Jenna Turato replaced Vilchez and struck out the first two batters she faced. 

“We’re a young team that’s improving,” Lady Vikings coach Rob Perpall said. “We had our chances today, and I like the way we responded after a tough start. 

“Bases loaded and no outs, you have to put the ball in play,” he added. “We didn’t make them make plays when we had to.”

Casazza, who alternates games in the circle with classmate Sophia Dandola, finished with eight strikeouts and allowed only three base runners over the last five innings. “We didn’t adjust well to her changeup,” Turco said. “She settled down nicely.”

Carey hadn’t allowed more than one run in its three previous games. Turato sandwiched dominant performances against Floral Park and South Side in between Vilchez’s shutout of Oyster Bay. “We have two great pitching options,” Turco said. “Who we use is based on the matchup.”