Mussen's baffling change-up took care of defending Nassau Class AA softball champion MacArthur's Cathleen Schmidt, pinning down the 3-2 victory for the Lady Seahawks at the Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale. Mussen, backed by Melissa DeAngelis's two RBI's, allowed one earned run on five hits and struckout 11 to lead Carey (16-4) to its first county title.
After splitting the first two games in the best of three series, Carey outlasted the perinelial play-off contenders with timely hitting and another great performance by Mussen, who improved to 12-2 for the season.
MacArthur's (12-13) Tina Tsiorvas tied the game at 2 with a well-stroked triple in the fourth, but was left standing there. DeAngelis drove home Kaitlyn Eymold in the next inning with a clutch two-out double.
The win came just days after Carey surivived a two-out rally by MacArthur in Game 2. Up 4-0, Mussen surrendered three runs and had two runners on when Tsiorvas, in as a pinch-hitter, grounded out to Carey shortstop Caitlin Callahan to end the threat and the game.
Next up for the Lady Seahawks are the Long Island finals against the winner of the Bay Shore-West Babylon Suffolk County match-up.
