Thursday, October 1, 2026
With its season hanging in the balance, trailing MacArthur by one run through six innings of Monday’s decisive third game of the Nassau Class AA softball championship series, Glen Cove produced a rally for the history books.
The Big Red scored twice in the top of the seventh and junior pitcher Brooke Simmons stranded the potential tying run on third base in the bottom of the frame for a 2-1 victory at Farmingdale State College and the program’s first county title in 40 years.
“This is everything I was hoping it would feel like, and more,” said Simmons, who doubled to lead off the seventh and scored the tying run on a Mia Lupinski single. “It was a back-and-forth series and we like drama,” she added. “I’ve been on the team four years and we’ve had ups and downs. This feels incredible.”
Junior Siena Scagliola doubled home Lupinski with the eventual championship-winning run.
“It was the biggest hit of my life,” Scagliola said. “The crowd was going crazy and it was great to come through. It felt good off the bat.
“We’ve come so far and we wanted this not only for ourselves but for the school and the community,” she added.
MacArthur, which took the series opener in an extra-inning thriller and lost Game 2 with Simmons throwing a no-hitter, was 60 feet away from getting the equalizer before the southpaw pitcher induced a lazy pop to Natalie Weigand at first base for the final out.
“When that ball landed in Natalie’s glove, everything was a blur,” Simmons said. “I don’t remember too much from the celebration aside from hugging everyone.”
It was MacArthur’s second straight appearance in the finals.
“Playing in Conference I, it’s like being in the playoffs every day and it battle tests you for the playoffs,” MacArthur coach Bobby Fehrenbach said. “Both teams played their hearts out and it was a great series that could’ve gone either way.”
The last time Glen Cove was in the finals was 2008. Coach Kim Kessel played on that team.
“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Kessel said. “This was the goal we set from Day One. I had to check my blood pressure a few times along the way, but we got it.”
