Early outburst leads VSS over VSN

Even though schools were closed last week, the Valley Stream North and South High School softball teams went to work April 12 in a Conference ABC-II game that ended with South a 16-4 winner.

With the win, South improved 3-1 in the conference and 4-4 overall while North dropped to 0-3 in conference play and 1-5 overall.

South senior pitcher Ashley Tkacsik pounded the strike zone throughout her six innings of work.  Tkacsik, a two-time All-County selection, also played a part in South’s seven-run offensive explosion in the top of the second inning with an RBI double down the right field line.

“We’ve been playing really well recently,” South coach Demetri Adrahtas said. “It’s an important league win, but at the same time, South and North, regardless of what the score is or what’s on the line, you always want to beat North.”

Senior Kelly McConville took the mound for North and sent South’s lineup down in order in the first inning, but ran into trouble in the second. Eighth-grader Brianna Schippell jump-started South’s offense in the second with an RBI single, giving the Falcons an early lead that they would not relinquish. Senior Danielle Bowker capped off the inning with an RBI single to put the Lady Falcons up 7-0.

In the bottom of the fourth, North got its first run across when senior Stephanie Sicurella placed a slap bunt down the third base line that scored junior Dana Morgante, who reached with a leadoff single. When it looked like the Lady Spartans were about to claw their way back, South’s second baseman, Jen Pace, turned an unassisted double play to end the fourth, preserving South’s 12-1 lead.

Sophomore Jessie Sabal drove in two runs for North in the sixth with a single up the middle. North coach Corey McNamara liked the way his team played during the final stages. “I was very happy to see our bats pick up,” McNamara said. “I thought that the girls swung the bats much better today, put the ball in play, so I was happy to see that.”

McNamara added that he was pleased with McConville’s effort on the mound, but said his team’s defense needs to get better. “We have to continue improving our bats and we have to improve our defense,” he said. “I think if we make those improvements we’ll be a different team the second time around when we face these teams again.”

South travels to North Shore on Thursday for a 4:30 p.m. game and then hosts Wantagh on Saturday at 10 a.m. The Lady Falcons are currently jockeying for position with both of those teams atop the conference standings.

North will look to rebound when it hosts Manhasset on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.