Junior Lauren Kaufman's two-run triple capped a four-run outburst in the top of the second inning and gave Long Beach a 6-2 lead. It led 10-6 heading into the bottom of the seventh, but the Lady Sailors rallied with three runs before junior pitcher Gia Brugueras got Angela Casella to pop out to junior shortstop Jessica Henck.
"This game took every ounce of energy out of both teams," LB coach Carmine Verde said. "It had a little of everything. It wasn't the best-played game, but it was very hard-fought."
The Lady Marines advanced to face upstart Valley Stream Central, the No. 10 seed, in the county finals. The third and final game, if necessary, is scheduled for Friday, May 31, at Cantiague Park at 3:30 p.m.
"Many of the coaches around the county have been saying all along how wide open this tournament was going to be," Verde said. "It proved to be true. There are two teams left, and I don't think anyone would have picked this final."
Central is on a serious roll. The Lady Eagles upset No. 7 Massapequa, second-seeded Syosset and most recently, third-seeded Baldwin, to reach the title series. "They're at least as hot as we are," Verde said.
Long Beach (14-9 overall) has won 13 of its last 18 after a 1-4 start, including a 12-6 triumph over the Lady Eagles back on April 23. It blanked Plainview, 5-0, in the first round of the playoffs behind a two-hit, 10-strikeout performance by Brugueras. Then in the quarterfinals, the Lady Marines scored four times in the top of the sixth for a come-from-behind 5-3 win at Hicksville. The big hit there was delivered by sophomore Nicole Rubin.
"I had confidence that these kids were going to put it all together," Verde said. "This team is a lot like the one we had in 2000 when we reached the finals. We got on a roll at the midway mark and kept things going in the playoffs."
In the semis, Long Beach scored twice in the top of the first and at least two runs in every even-numbered inning. Junior catcher Mary Potamousis drove in two runs and scored three times, while junior centerfielder Tara Parrington reached base four times and scored twice.
"We never gave up the lead but we never really put them away until the final out," Verde said.
Sophomore Krista Yulfo singled to score Henck in the top of the sixth to make it 10-6, and that proved to be the winning run. In Oceanside's last at-bat, freshman and losing pitcher Brittany Riecker tripled in two runs with one out and scored on Kristen Nielsen's sacrifice fly to make it a one-run game.
"There's a lot of fight in these girls," Verde said. "All the energy and spirit they have is contagious.
"We were down two runs against the defending champs at their home field and came back to win, and then we go and beat Oceanside, which swept all its games against Conference I-A teams during the regular season."
