Long Beach opens with win

In its first game following the graduation of two All-State players from last year’s 14-win team that reached the Nassau Class AA softball quarterfinals, Long Beach knocked off 2011 preseason No. 1 seed Farmingdale, 2-1.

Junior Kelsey McLaughlin had a hand in both runs for the Lady Marines, who got six strong innings from sophomore pitcher Ashley Martin and a save from eighth-grader Kelsey Larson. McLaughlin drove home freshman Heather Weinstein with the game’s first run in the bottom of the sixth inning with a two-out single and later scored on an error.

“It was a great win, especially because of how the game unfolded,” Long Beach coach Carmine Verde said.

Martin, who allowed only two hits and struck out eight, injured her left (non-throwing) shoulder while batting in the sixth and left the game. “Ashley has a chance to be tremendous,” Verde said of Martin, who has a five-pitch arsenal. “She’s a hard worker and a smart pitcher. Her location is great, and she’s only going to get better.”

Martin matched Farmingdale standout Isabella Corrao pitch-for-pitch. A few strikes away from heading into the seventh inning locked in a scoreless tie, Corrao paid dearly for hitting Weinstein with a pitch. Weinstein promptly swiped second, then scored on McLaughlin’s single. McLaughlin advanced to second on the throw home, then stole third and came around to score on an errant throw.

Larson, making her first varsity appearance in the pitching circle, got the last out on a fly to Weinstein in center. Both youngsters can pitch, and Verde said they’re capable of playing six different positions on the field. “They give us a lot of options,” he said.

Senior Mallorie Larson, Kelsey’s older sister, is a key contributor who plays second and bats second. She had two line-drive hits in a 6-1 loss at Mepham. “Mallorie can bunt, slap and swing away, and she’s playing well defensively,” Verde said.

McLaughlin, who batted .339 and earned All-County honors as a sophomore, anchors the infield defense at shortstop and serves as the cleanup hitter after leading off in 2010. She played short last year when Haley Birnbaum, an All-State performer, did the pitching. “She’s got a real strong arm and excellent lateral movement,” Verde said of McLaughlin.

Junior Annie Winerip, backup to All-State catcher Sydney Folk last spring, has been elevated to full-time starter. “Luckily for us, Annie’s stepped right in,” Verde said. “She’s a heads-up player.”

At first base, senior Krystal Carrasquillo is someone Verde is counting on to drive in runs and provide protection for McLaughlin in the lineup. Junior Victoria Stewart is also taking reps at first. At third, freshman Brianna Rivera is flashing a reliable glove and had a two-run single in a 4-2 victory over MacArthur, the No. 2 preseason seed, last Monday. Weinstein and Ashley Larson can handle the hot corner as well. Junior Caitlin O’Connell and sophomore Tara Shouldis will contribute in the outfield, while sophomore Kristy Fox will spark the offense as the designated hitter.

“We have to try to scratch out close games,” Verde said. “We don’t want to give teams extra outs.”

Long Beach, the No. 5 seed in Conference AA-I, visits Kellenberg in a non-league doubleheader on Saturday at noon and 2 p.m.