Hit parade for Lady Cougars

Kennedy brushed off a pair of losses to MacArthur and Oceanside by returning to basics — crushing the softball. The Lady Cougars snapped the brief skid with an 8-4 victory over North Shore on April 18, with junior Heather Hulkhower providing the punch by driving in two runs with a triple. Junior Sam Finkel pitched a complete game in the win.

Kennedy’s 7-3 start (6-2 in Conference AA-II) has been fueled by a deep lineup that packs power from top to bottom.

Even in a 10-5 loss to MacArthur April 16, the Lady Cougars smacked four home runs, with senior center fielder Carly Thea netting two and sophomore Jamie Demmett and Hulkhower each chipping in one. “We’re hitting well and we’re hitting well as a team,” Kennedy coach Katie Speiss said. 

Indeed, Kennedy’s team average is over .400, and through 10 games the lineup has blasted 13 home runs. Position in the lineup hasn’t mattered, as Demmett, the leadoff hitter, kicked off the season with a homer against Herricks that just might be the team’s longest of the season. Five different players in all have homered.

But as much fun as it has been for the Lady Cougars to trot around the bases — they’ve scored at least 12 runs in six games winning all but one — the versatility of the defense and pitching staff has also been a key component in the success. Speiss has two different defensive alignments depending on whether junior Gabby Calia or Finkel is in the circle. When Calia pitches, her spot at third base is open, setting off a chain of position switches that includes both infielders and outfielders.

“We have a lot of girls that can play two positions and start at two positions which is a blessing,” she said. “It gives us more options.”

On the days Calia pitches, Demmett moves from second base to the hot corner, junior Jaclyn Gigante takes over second base, with either junior Kimmy Knoll or sophomore Paige Nowicki seeing time in Gigante’s vacated right field slot. Sophomore Deanna Santo logs time in left field if freshman Lauren Sustad relieves senior Brittany Venezia at shortstop. Of all the moving pieces, two of the most crucial — senior catcher Stephanie Bauman and Thea, both of whom are four-year varsity players, remain in place.

As Kennedy gears up for the stretch — just three conference games remained beginning with a home game against Valley Stream Central on Friday at 4:30 p.m. — it was locked in a four-way battle for first place with Oceanside, Plainview-JFK and Hicksville. Only the top three teams make the playoffs. “I think we’re in a good mindset,” Speiss said. “We want to make the playoffs and can’t let up on any team. We have to win them all.”

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