Youthful Kennedy seeks strong finish

With just three seniors, the Kennedy softball squad has worked hard all year to remain consistent. But things may have finally come together recently, according to first-year coach Tom Piccarillo, when the Lady Cougars topped Calhoun, 16-6, on April 24.

“I think that was the turning point for us as far as gaining confidence, stopping mistakes, getting the bats cracking, and getting those key hits when we need to,” he said.

But the team traded a win and a loss after that, and last Monday, they lost what Piccarillo called a “heartbreaker,” falling to Hicksville 5-4. The Lady Cougars trailed by four runs heading into their final at-bat, cut the deficit to one, and made the final out with the tying run on third base. 

The loss dropped the team’s conference record to 6-5 (7-7 overall), and according to Piccarillo, the team’s final three games will determine whether they make the playoffs. “We have a good weeks and we have bad weeks,” Piccarillo said.

Gabriella Calia, one of the team’s seniors, has also been one of its consistent players, according to the coach. “She’s done a great job for us on both sides.”

Another senior, Samantha Finkel, like Calia, is one of the team’s top hitters and pitchers. Kennedy’s middle infield consists of two eighth-graders, Sydney Yormack and Melissa Klein. “[Yormack’s] one of our leaders as far as hitting goes,” Piccarillo said.

Additionally, two sophomores and a freshman make up the outfield. But center fielder Lauren Sustad, according to Piccarillo, is “one of the best center fielders in the league.” 

While the youth makes Kennedy’s future look promising, it has led to inconsistency, as Piccarillo said that the team is still trying to find that one leader. “But we’ve seemed to overcome these things,” he said. “It’s a pretty bright young team as long as they stay together.”

Because of rainouts earlier in the season, Kennedy was slated to end the season playing four games in a row this week. The first of those games was the loss to Hicksville, putting a minor dent in the playoff hopes.  

But despite the inconsistency, Piccarillo said that when the team does put it all together — like it did against Calhoun — the sky is the limit. “When we’re on,” he said. “I think we’re as good as anyone in the conference.”