East Rockaway reaches finals

Samantha Mantovani scored the only run in Game 2 of East Rockaway's Class B best-of-three series win over Oyster Bay last week.

Steven Ryan/Herald

After losing a slew of players from a team that won the Nassau Class C title in 2012, few expected to see East Rockaway playing late in May this year. But proving people wrong has been the mantra for the young Lady Rocks all season long. 

With a convincing 6-1 road victory over No.1 Oyster Bay in the third and deciding game of the Class B semifinals, No.4 East Rockaway advanced to the best-of-three county championship series where it will meet No. 2 Locust Valley.  

Senior pitcher Gianna Cilluffo followed up a shutout in game two with a four-hit gem. Senior Jessica Deptulski went 1-for-2 with two RBI and two stolen bases, and freshman Marisa Felbinger added a two-RBI single to pace the offensive attack. The game was scoreless through the first five innings. 

Head coach Joe Lores thought his team’s ability to manufacture runs was the key. “We were struggling to score, so we played a little small ball,” Lores said. “We went to plan B. The girls put down some excellent bunts, ran the bases well, and took advantage of some of the opportunities they gave us. We executed real well.”

After dropping the opening game of the series, East Rockaway, which improved to 19-4, eked out a 1-0 win with its season on the line. With the game scoreless in the bottom of the sixth, senior Samantha Mantovani led off with a single, and sprinted all the way to third on a sacrifice bunt by Jess Cerasoli. Deptulski drove a fly ball to center to knock in the game’s only run. Cilluffo yielded just one hit in the game.

East Rockaway will be seeking its 10th county title, and first-ever in Class B. Locust Valley is looking for its first title.