Walk-off playoff win for Sewanhaka

Sewanhaka couldn’t have picked a better time to end a four-game slide on the softball field. The seventh-seeded Lady Indians knocked off No. 10 Wantagh, 2-1, in the first round of the Nassau Class A playoffs last Friday, as sophomore catcher Rachel Wisniewski drove in senior Gina Cangelosi with a game-winning single in the bottom of the eighth inning.

“It was a matter of us getting one or two timely hits,” Sewanhaka coach Deirdre Kelly said. “That seems to be the key for us.”

Wisniewski’s rope down the left field line capped an inning that started off with a leadoff single by Cangelosi. She was sacrificed to second base on a bunt by junior shortstop Jackie Wisniewski, and Cangelosi advanced to third on a one-out wild pitch by the Lady Warriors’ Jaclyn Vicente. An intentional walk to senior Michelle Mongiello loaded the bases and set the stage for Rachel Wisniewski’s dramatic hit.

The victory pushed the Lady Indians (4-12 overall) into the quarterfinal round of the playoffs against No. 2 Island Trees.

Senior pitcher Monique Roberge turned in another dominating performance, allowing just one run on four hits and five walks with 13 strikeouts. Finishing up her fifth year on varsity, including a third as the ace under Kelly, Roberge pitched her way out of several jams with big strikeouts, as Wantagh stranded runners at second and third in two different innings. “She has a great curve and a great drop pitch,” Kelly said. “When she’s on, she can be overpowering to the bottom of the order. Against the top of an order, she’s smart. Between her and Rachel, they’re a great battery.”

Roberge singled in the fifth and came around to score the game’s first run when Mongiello doubled to deep left-center. Mongiello, the Lady Indians starting center fielder, has done just as much for the team with her arm as her bat. In 13 conference games, she had nine assists from the outfield. “In my opinion she’s one of the best three outfielders in the conference,” Kelly said, later adding, “She’s always got such a good bead on the ball. It’s just natural for her, and she hits her target every time.”