Injuries derail West Hempstead's season

Whether it’s a professional, college, or high school team, one constant is that injuries can decimate a team and turn what once appeared to be a promising season into a frustrating one. Such was the case on the softball field at West Hempstead this spring.

The Rams came into the season knowing that a lack of depth at multiple positions could be a factor, however with a manageable schedule, the team expected to be very competitive. 

The injury bug hit the Rams hard in the early going of the season and it was tough for the team to recover. Junior shortstop Maria Graci, who was expected to occupy a spot in the middle of the order, missed the entire season. 

With Graci and others out of the lineup, head coach Chris Van Kovics was forced to play numerous players out of position, and to call up girls from the junior varsity team. The result was a disappointing 5-9 record. 

“We lost the entire left side of the infield, and had to move girls to positions where they had no experience playing,” Van Kovics said. “Our numbers were down coming into the season, and we only had a couple of seniors on the roster. We were a better team than we showed.”

West Hempstead played some tight games against its toughest Conference ABC-IV foes. The Rams suffered a pair of one-run losses to league champion Lynbrook, and were on the short end of a 2-0 score when took on second place Locust Valley.

On a team that had little consistency, one common theme was its battery. Junior Dana Palermo and senior Emily Weinstein were regulars in the circle and behind the plate, respectively. Palermo earned all five of the team’s wins. 

Weinstein didn’t have quite the success at the plate that she had while earning All-Conference honors as a junior. Opponents took away her small ball game by playing the infield up tight, and her ability to bunt and slap was shut down.

Van Kovics lauded Weinstein’s defensive play. “Emily is going to be tough to replace,” Van Kovics said. “She did a real nice job with Dana. Catching is not easy, especially when working with a pitcher who is relatively inexperienced. She helped Dana work through some tough spots.”

Freshman Sara Welti was one of the bright spots for the Rams. In a 9-8 victory over Great Neck North, Welti hit a walk-off single to bring home Palermo with the winning run.

West Hempstead also has high expectations for Sydney Reitz. The freshman outfielder, forced to play shortstop and third base, was one of the team’s toughest out. When word got out about Reitz’s ability at the plate, opponents began pitching around her. She was 3-for-3 with three RBI and three runs scored in a 19-7 win over Roslyn.  

In another victory over Roslyn, Dana Palermo and senior Emma Shanley each had a grand slam home run to lead the Rams.