VSC finishes with winning mark

The Central High Lady Eagles entered the 2014 softball season looking to erase the pain of falling a game short of a spot in the playoffs a year ago. 

A run of seven wins over an eight-game stretch certainly gave the Lady Eagles reason for optimism, however a few tough losses over the last couple of weeks left VSC on the outside looking in at the postseason. 

The latest loss, a heartbreaking 4-3 decision at the hands of Farmingdale, left the Lady Eagles with a record of 7-5. Central battled back from a 4-0 deficit, and had the tying run in scoring position, but couldn’t get the timely hit needed to even things up. The Lady Eagles lost their last four games.

Despite the disappointing end to the season, head coach Artie Riccio had nothing but good things to say about his team. “I’ve been blessed with good kids to coach for the past 14 years,” Riccio said. “This was a hard-working group that came to play every day. We do a lot of drills and fundamentals, and they’re always into it. We were hoping to get a few more wins, but it was still a very positive season.”

Sophomore Tiffany Longarzo had another strong campaign in the circle and at the plate. Longarzo hit .500 for the season and kept the Lady Eagles in just about every game with her solid pitching. She gave up two or fewer runs in six of her outings. In a 3-0 win over Great Neck South, Longarzo earned the shutout, and also hit a homer and knocked in all three runs.

Versatile junior Jasmine Garden, who played shortstop as a sophomore, saw time at second base, third base, and in the outfield. Garden hit into hard luck, and still managed to bat .360. In an early season 9-2 victory over Port Washington, Garden knocked in four runs. 

Junior Jenny Dignam is another player who Riccio is looking forward to having back for another season. Dignam is an excellent outfielder and produced some clutch hits throughout the season. In a comeback win over Freeport, Dignam went 2-for-2 and knocked home the winning run.

After missing much of 2013 with an injury, Randi Ruderman returned to the lineup and played well. The junior shortstop was strong in the field and was a tough out at the plate. Ruderman went 3-for-4 with a home run, and a pair of RBI in a 9-2 win over Herricks. Junior Kayla Diedrick had an excellent season roaming center field.

Riccio is hoping for more next season. “We need to get more consistent at the plate,” he said. “The potential is there. We have just about everyone back, and have a few players coming up from the junior varsity who will help. We worked real hard on hitting in the winter. I guess we’re just going to have to work ever harder.”