Lady Owls are on the rise

Posted

When the 2015 softball season began, expectations were high for Lynbrook. Despite a roster comprising numerous underclassmen, the Lady Owls had a promising pitcher, strength and experience on the infield, and were playing in a conference where they could compete for a title.

Adversity struck early when season-ending injuries to freshman second baseman Lindsay Ostroff and third baseman Katherine Cusack shook up the roster.

However, Lynbrook shrugged off the double dose of misfortune and, after last Saturday’s 9-3 victory over Friends Academy, the Lady Owls are 7-2 in Conference AB-IV. Kacie Curran had a pair of RBI and two stolen bases, and Liz DiCarmine banged a two-run homer to lead the way. Freshman pitcher Julianne Graepel went the distance to earn her seventh victory.

Coach Pete Toscano is pleased with the way his team has overcome the early season setbacks. “We had to piece things together, and have some girls playing out of position, but it’s worked out really well,” Toscano said.“We’re hitting the ball well, and the girls who stepped in for the two who are injured have done a nice job.”

A pair of freshmen, second baseman Chelsea Domon and third baseman Olivia Pipia, have done a nice job picking up for the loss of Ostroff and Cusack.

Curran has been the biggest key to Lynbrook’s success. The fleet-footed junior shortstop is hitting .650, and is seemingly always on base. In a recent 8-4 victory over North Shore, Curran went 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBI.

After shaking off an early season injury, junior first baseman Georgia Krendel has provided plenty of pop in middle of the batting order for the Owls. Krendel’s two hits and three RBI led Lynbrook to a 9-2 win over a pesky Great Neck North nine.

The battery of Graepel and DiCarmine has been as good as advertised. Graepel announced her presence in a big way by allowing just a pair of hits while striking out 13 batters in an opening day win over Great Neck North.

DiCarmine has been solid behind the plate and at bat. The junior backstop was a home run shy of the cycle in a 15-3 rout of Friends Academy in late March. She went 4-for4 for the game and knocked in five runs.

A playoff berth may be a longshot for the Lady Owls. Lynbrook would need to win the rest of its games and get a little help from others to finish atop the conference. Regardless, Toscano knows the program is heading in the right direction.

“We have nearly everyone back next season, so we have some good years to look forward to,” Toscano said. “We need to shore up our defense a bit. That’s likely our weakest area. But, with mostly freshman and juniors, we’re developing very well as a team.”

The Lady Owls will be back in action when they host East Rockaway (10-2) on Saturday night at Greis Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.