Thursday, October 1, 2026
West Hempstead softball has come out swinging this spring, putting a 1-win 2024 campaign in the rearview mirror with a four-game winning streak out of the gate.
“We weren’t in the right league last year and struggled,” coach Chris Van Kovics said. “Now I feel we’re playing teams we can compete with every single day. So far, our pitcher has been a little bit better than the others and we’ve been playing solid defense.”
Junior pitcher Valerie Schreck is the Rams’ only arm at this stage and has benefited from offseason work and last year’s experience. She also helps her own cause with a solid bat and speed on the bases. “She’s definitely improved as a pitcher and is a key to our offense,” Van Kovics said. “As a pitcher she’s more consistent with more speed. She was at every winter workout and takes the sport seriously.”
In a wild 17-15 victory over Conference IX rival Valley Stream Central to kick off April, Schreck and sophomore shortstop Ariana Corona both went 2-for-4 with 3 runs scored while junior catcher Morgan Hill scored four times and knocked in a pair. West Hempstead trailed 4-0 and 8-4 but exploded for 13 runs over the last two innings to keep its winning streak alive after beating Lawrence and Friends Academy. Each of those three wins came on the road.
Moving forward, the defense behind Schreck must to continue to get the job done and follow the blueprint of now giving opponents extra outs, Van Kovics noted.
Corona, who is working to be the backup pitcher, has the strongest arm on the roster and doing a nice job anchoring the infield, Van Kovics said. She’s also expected to either leadoff or be among the top three hitters in the lineup all season. “She’s also our fastest kid and is doing a great job stealing bases,” he said. “She’s just an outstanding kid who works hard and plays the game hard.”
In the middle of the infield with Corona is either sophomore Melissa Bonila or freshman Emma Pearlman at second base. Bonilla also plays outfield. Pearlman brings strong fundamentals from playing youth softball and has been aggressive on the bases.
At the corners, it’s junior Kayla Wallack at first base and senior Danielle Koodski, a fourth-year member of the varsity, at third. Wallack, who can also give Hill a breather at catcher, swings a powerful bat and wields a reliable glove. Koodski is the team’s most experienced player at the varsity level and made back-to-back clutch defensive plays to secure the 11-6 win over Lawrence in the March 28 opener.
Hill, a lefty behind the plate, has taken her game to another level from last spring and is another power hitter the Rams are counting on to produce.
The outfield was boosted by newcomer Mariyah Rodriguez, a senior covering a lot of ground in center. “She’s fit in nicely with everyone,” Van Kovics said. Junior Mia Machere, sophomore Alondra Discua and freshman Lansee Sainvilus are additional outfielders.
