Relentless offense leads Baldwin

If you’re looking for good reasons why the Baldwin Lady Bruins softball team was 13-5 heading into their regular-season finale against Bellmore-JFK earlier this week, and in excellent position to make the playoffs again, look no further than their relentless offense.

Through 18 games the Bruins collectively hit .402, reached base at a .478 clip and slugged .627 – numbers that would be intimidating enough if it were not for the fact that they also stole 45 bases in 50 attempts and smashed 29 home runs. Carly Mertens (10), Liza Ueno (seven), Olivia Phillips (five), Jill Bellovin (three) and Jessica Pulis (three) were leading the long ball barrage, and Mertens, Ueno and Pulis were all batting over .500. It’s not like the rest of the lineup offered up many easy outs either: Jade Aponte was hitting .353 with 25 runs scored, Jackie Fisher .397, Alaina Williams .323 and Kamari Somers .290 with one homer.

The Lady Bruins were averaging 10.5 runs per game and had scored in double figures 11 times.

“This is the most offense I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” coach Tom Llewellyn said. “From one through nine, everyone is getting on base and making things happen.”

After scoring 25 times on its way to a 2-0 start, Baldwin went through a four-game stretch in which it scored five, six, five and nine runs, going 2-2 in those games. Then on April 9, Mertens, Phillips and Ueno combined for 11 hits in 13 at-bats to lead the Lady Bruins to an 11-2 win at Sewanhaka. They never looked back. They’ve failed to score at least 10 runs in a game just twice since, in a 10-7 loss to Plainview-JFK on April 24 and in a 4-3 defeat to Hicksville on May 4. They’re 9-3 since April 9. The only time they’ve scored in double digits and lost was to Calhoun, 16-15, on April 11.

They’ve won their share of slugfests. On April 27 they beat Oceanside 14-13 in a matchup of powerhouse offenses, as Phillips went 4-for-4 with three RBIs and Pulis went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Three days later, they trailed Farmingdale 8-3 in the sixth inning, only to score 14 times in the last two frames on their way to a 17-9 victory. 

Though the offense has been there on a regular basis, Llewellyn thinks his team can win even without its best hitting effort. Ueno, the catcher, has been especially impressive, throwing out 14 would-be base stealers. Aponte has grown more comfortable at shortstop and has worked well with Fisher, the second baseman, Llewellyn said. He also calls Phillips “the best third baseman in the league.” Pitchers Mertens and Pulis have gotten stronger as the season has progressed. 

“I think our pitching is peaking right now,” he said.

The Lady Bruins beat Bellmore-JFK in their only other meeting this season, 14-10, as Fisher drove in five runs. A win clinches a playoff spot.