Lady Pirates flex early muscle

Mepham’s come out swinging on the softball field, racking up three consecutive victories to start the season, including a 6-1 decision over Long Beach on March 30. Senior Victoria Gunnels pitched her third straight complete game, allowing just five hits and her first walk of the season, while limiting the Lady Marines to just one run. In 21 innings, Gunnels has allowed just one earned run and one walk while scattering 10 hits and striking out 14.

“She’s keeping her composure and they’re playing good defense behind her,” coach Mike Muscara said. “She’s hitting her spots and the key is that she isn’t walking anybody.”

Gunnels has also helped herself with the bat, racking up three home runs, including one in a 13-1 win over Syosset on March 28. It was the biggest blow in a nine-run second inning that featured eight hits by the Lady Pirates and helped open up an 11-0 lead. Senior Shannon McLean, a returning All County second baseman, and junior Claudia Law, a returning All-County catcher now in her fourth varsity season, each drove in a pair of runs as did junior Casey Thomas.

“We have three kids [Law, Gunnels and McLean] that can hit not only the gaps, but they can hit for power and singles,” Muscara said of his third, fourth and fifth-place hitters.

In a season-opening 1-0 non-league victory over Bethpage on a cold, raw day in which neither team could drum up much offense, it was the pitching and defense that paved the way. Gunnels worked out of a jam in the first inning — the Lady Golden Eagles had runners on second and third with one out — by striking out the No. 4 and No. 5 hitters in the lineup. In the top of the sixth, she induced a pair of fly balls with a runner on second to keep Bethpage off the scoreboard. A sacrifice fly by freshman Toni Marie Valeriano followed a single, sacrifice and an error to plate the only run of the game.

“They’re a very confident, loose bunch,” Muscara said. “They are not playing scared and they believe in themselves.”

Senior shortstop Kristan Taylor returns to the middle infield just one season removed from earning All-Division honors, while junior Nicole Pazienza returns to center field after an All-Division campaign. Senior Kaitlyn Bazarewski missed a chunk of last season due to injury but is also back in the lineup.

“We have kids that have experience,” Muscara noted of his team, which is choc-full of three- and four-year varsity players. “That’s not just being on the team, they’ve been playing. Nothing is new to them and they know what to expect.”

The Lady Pirates battle top-seeded Farmingdale on Thursday at 4:15 p.m. and have a makeup game against Carey on Saturday, followed by a visit from last season’s Nassau Class AA champions, East Meadow on Monday at 4:45 p.m.