Thursday, October 1, 2026
Dropping three straight games to Oceanside didn’t faze defending Nassau and Long Island Class AAA softball champion Massapequa.
The Chiefs, who fell twice to the Sailors during the regular season and dropped the best-of-three county championship series opener Sunday, stayed alive with a wild come-from-behind victory in Game 2 Monday and kept the momentum going in Wednesday’s third and deciding game for a repeat.
Senior Samantha Dolan went 3-for-4 with five RBIs, sophomore Sienna Erker scored three runs and senior pitcher Alexa O’Mallon scattered five hits while working around six errors as No. 2 Massapequa squeaked past top-seeded Oceanside, 7-6, at Farmingdale State College for its fifth county title in six years.
“Every time we play Oceanside, it’s back-and-forth and always seems to come down to the last inning,” Massapequa coach Christina Castellani said. “We’ve been able to overcome adversity all season. These girls just battle and battle. I’m super proud of them.”
The Chiefs (19-9) will look to defend their L.I. crown Saturday when they face Sachem North at 11 a.m. at Martha Avenue Field in Bellport. Oceanside finished 22-5, losing its last two following a 15-game winning streak.
"It was a soecial season with an amazing group of players," Oceanside coach Carlo Quagliata said. "I will forever be proud of these girls."
Erker, standout senior catcher Maeve Schiereck and Dolan got Massapequa rolling and provided O’Mallon with a 5-0 cushion. In the top of the first and second, Dolan had two-run singles bringing home Erker and Schiereck.
“I had a tough time at the plate in the first two games and I’m glad today was different,” Dolan said. “They were pitching me inside, so I made an adjustment where I stood in the box and it really helped.”
The Sailors, who squandered a 5-0 lead in Game 2, scored four times in the bottom of the second with the help of a pair of Massapequa errors to get within a run.
The Chiefs responded with single runs in the fourth and sixth to lead 7-4, but back came Oceanside with a pair in the bottom of the sixth on a sac fly by senior Karley Handleman and RBI groundout by sophomore Hailey Bischoff.
Clinging to a one-run lead, O’Mallon got counterpart Caroline Ferchland on a comebacker for the bottom of the seventh’s first out. Then came a foul pop to Dolan at first, and a sinking flare to a charging Erker in center to end it.
“At first that last out looked like it was in no-man’s land and was going to drop,” Schiereck said. “When Erker ran in and caught it, we just went crazy.”
Massapequa extended the series to a third and deciding game with a wild 12-10 come-from-behind victory in Game 2 Monday. The Chiefs trailed 5-0 after an inning and a half, 8-4 entering the bottom of the fourth, and 10-7 going into the bottom of the sixth.
A five-run sixth put Massapequa over the top. It had just two hits in the frame, but four Oceanside errors aided the rally. Two errors came on Schiereck’s bases-loaded liner to center that allowed the Chiefs to lead for the first time, 11-10. Junior Katy Love followed with an RBI to score Schiereck.
Game 1 saw Oceanside prevail 7-3 behind the senior arm of Ferchland and a pair of RBIs from senior Riley Brasch.
Massapequa beat Oceanside in last year’s county final on its way to a state championship game appearance. In 2024, the Sailors defeated the Chiefs for the Nassau Class AAA crown.
“It’s anyone’s game on any given day, especially when it comes to these two teams,” Castellani said.
