Thursday, October 1, 2026
By TONY BELLISSIMO
Playing for the second time in three days after being idle for more than three weeks, East Rockaway clicked on all cylinders in the Long Island Class C softball championship/Southeast Regional semifinal and cruised to an easy 21-4 victory over Pierson/Bridgehampton at St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue on June 2.
The Lady Rocks (13-8) failed to score in the first two innings and trailed by a run, but put up crooked numbers in the next four, including an eight-run explosion in the top of the fourth and a nine-run outburst in the fifth on the way to capturing their first L.I. crown since 2007.
“We played in a very tough conference that prepared us well for the postseason,” coach Joe Lores said. “It took us a little while to adapt to their pitcher today, but the second time through the lineup is when we really started to hit like we’re capable.”
Senior Sydney O’Connor and sophomore Sarah Donnelly both had two-run hits in the fourth, while freshman pitcher Emily Chelius scattered five hits, walked one and struck out five and helped her own cause with two hits and four RBIs in the fifth. Only one of the runs Chelius allowed was earned.
“We’re not going anyplace without Emily,” Lores said of Chelius, who got strong defensive support from senior shortstop Caitlin O’Mara and junior Diana Locoteta at second base. “Last year she was an eighth-grader pitching on varsity — I’ve always said she had the poise of a senior,” he added. “It’s who she is, and she loves the game.”
East Rockaway failed to score after loading the bases with no one out in the top of the second and fell behind 1-0 in the bottom of the inning when Isabel Peters tripled and scored for Pierson/Bridgehampton. In the top of the third, the Lady Rocks broke through against pitcher Annabelle Schroeder and took the lead for good with a pair of runs. Senior Erica Acampora and O’Mara cracked back-to-back singles with one out to put runners on the corner. Then O’Connor drove in Acampora on an infield groundout, and O’Mara scored on an error off a batted ball by Chelius.
The lead change was merely a sign of things to come for East Rockaway, which played its last regular-season game on May 7 and didn’t see action again until the Nassau Class B vs. Class C game on the last day of the month. “We had scrimmages against Long Island Lutheran and Wheatley to stay sharp, and then I gave them a little time off before we got back to work,” Lores said of the long break.
The Lady Rocks, who beat North Salem, 3-1, last Saturday behind the pitching and hitting of Chelius to advance to the state tournament this Saturday in Glens Falls, took advantage of Schroeder’s sudden wildness in the fourth and scored eight runs on only three hits. The bases were loaded with no outs, all on walks, and the floodgates began to open after O’Connor’s two-run double made it 6-1. A two-run single by Donnelly made it 10-1.
The fifth began with a long homer over the fence in left off the bat of Acampora. Chelius had a pair of two-run doubles in the frame, and senior leadoff hitter Marissa Felbinger added a two-run single.
“It’s exciting,” Lores said. “The girls waited a long time to play this game, and they had a big day.”
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Despite the long break, East Rockaway came out with no signs of rust and, behind a dominant pitching effort and some timely hitting, the Rocks shutout Southold 3-0 to take the Long Island Class C crown in a game played at PAL Stadium in Holtsville on June 2.
Senior Ryan Kelly yielded just one hit as East Rockaway earned Long Island supremacy for the first time since 2007, and the third time in program history. The Rocks advanced to the regional final. Southold finished with an overall record of 18-5.
After a single by senior Mike Acampora brought home Kelly in the top of the first, the contest became a duel between Kelly and Southold lefty Dylan Clausen.
The Rocks nursed a 1-0 lead until the fifth when senior Michael DelGais came through in a big way. Delgais drove the first pitch he saw into right center for a two-run single that scored junior Chris Deptulski and Kelly after two had been retired. Deptulski had doubled to deep right to start the rally.
The Settlers had an opportunity to get on the board in the bottom of the fifth after getting two men on base, but Kelly battled back from a 3-1 count and struck out Southold’s Noah Mina to end the threat.
“Ryan had good stuff, but he didn’t have his great command,” head coach James Hickey said. “The strike zone was a little tighter than he’s used to. He battled like he knows how and got through it. It was a very impressive performance. He pitched a smart game. When he fell behind in the count, rather than give in, he opted to face another batter.”
Hickey believes the preparation was the key. The Rocks were able to scrimmage Bellmore JFK and Wantagh while waiting for the title game, but most of the time they were on their own.
“We really had just one bad practice over the three weeks,” Hickey said. “The guys did everything they had to do to get ready for the game. They stayed sharp and focused, and I think that was the difference.”
The Rocks dreams of a state title ended last Saturday when they faced North Salem in the regional final at Arlington High School in Lagrangeville. Senior Dan Capra went the distance to lead the Tigers to a 4-0 victory.
Kelly earned All-Conference honors, and DelGais and senior Nick Ippolito picked up All-League recognition.
“It’s a little disappointing to fall short, and it hurts knowing there’s no practice on Monday,” Hickey said after the loss to North Salem. “But, the eight seniors and the underclassmen on the team set a new standard of expectations.”
