Thursday, October 1, 2026
Through seven games, Clarke softball has played to more lopsided victories than close results, earning a 5-2 overall record with one of the most powerful lineups in Nassau Class AA. Coach Alex Abanavas said the explosive offense was ultimately the result of years-long development.
“We have eight starters returning from last year's team,” Abanavas said. “It’s cool. Most of the kids are three-year varsity players at this point. I think being comfortable around one another and then being comfortable around myself as the coach too, they know what is it expected and the standard for them.“
As of Sunday, April 12, all five of Clarke’s victories have come by 12 runs, including three 12-0 shutouts. This elite production has been largely run through senior outfielder Olivia Giardano and junior shortstop Leila Thakkar, who have both racked up multi-hit games in several crushing victories.
“Layla is like a five-tool player,” Abanavas said. “She's a cool mix of power and speed at the plate, very dangerous, and at short in the field, she makes the plays that that not many other kids can make. Olivia, she's one of our two seniors on the team, and I want to say she has twice as many extra base hits as she does singles to this point.”
While Giardano and Thakkar have driven production, Abanavas described players like juniors Sienna Diana and Kelsey Lopez as “on-base machines.” This has been the key to the Rams’ early success, as their power hitters have had consistent chances to drive in runners in scoring position.
Sophomore catcher Mia Ruiz and junior infielder Emily Diaz have both found key spots in the middle of the lineup as well. Ruiz matched Giardano’s two hits in a 12-0 victory over Long Beach on April 9.
Several of Clarke’s most important hitters have proven even more valuable as pitchers, as senior Kate Welsh and junior Analinda Moran have effectively split starting duties to this point.
“They’re two great examples of being in control of their emotions,” Abanavas said. “You can't ever really tell what's going on in the game. They've been great understanding situations. They're willing to do anything, whether it's split a game or complete games. I really trust them both in really any situation.”
In the Rams’ most recent win over Long Beach, Welsh contributed to a one-hit shutout, alongside relief pitchers Kaylee Ng and Sydney Carvalho. She went the distance in a 12-0 win against Farmingdale on April 7.
Moran has also done solid work in the circle so far, but her production as Clarke’s leadoff hitter has been important as well. The junior hit a two-run home run against Farmingdale and went 4-for-5 in a season-opening 16-4 rout against Herricks.
On Tuesday, April 14, Clarke and Abanavas will get a firmer idea of where they stand when they take on Plainedge, who has traded playoff wins with the Rams in the last two seasons. On Thursday, April 16, they will get a true acid test against Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK, a Nassau Class AAA rival with a 7-0 record.
