By TONY BELLISSIMO
in the Long Island Class AA softball championship game on Tuesday afternoon at the Town of Brookhaven's Bellport Park.
Donnelly allowed just three hits, walked two and struck out four en route to shutting out the two-time defending L.I. champs. She also figured prominently in the offense, scoring the first run in the top of the fourth inning on senior Ashley Passaro's sacrifice fly and driving in junior Kirsten Halfon with a single in the sixth.
"We felt we had unfinished business," said Donnelly, recalling last year's 4-2 loss to Bay Shore. "We knew it was going to be tough but we brought our A game. It's a great accomplishment."
The Lady Marines, who a week earlier had topped East Meadow to defend their Nassau County crown, now advance to the state Final Four on Saturday in Binghamton. They came within one win of the Class A state title in 2002 after topping Smithtown in the L.I. final.
"This is a special group of girls," said Long Beach coach Carmine Verde, who couldn't have picked a better time to get career win No. 300. "I thought we matched up pretty well against them, but considering their history it was clear we were the underdog. We just battled every inning and played tremendous defense."
Bay Shore, a team with nine L.I. championship plaques in its trophy case, sent only three batters to the plate in three of the first four innings and seriously threatened only in the fifth. "We just couldn't come up with a big hit," Marauders coach Jim McGowan said. "[Donnelly] mixed pitches real well and didn't crack under pressure. We lost to a very good team."
Long Beach (22-4) came out of the gate 0 for 7 against hard-throwing Erika Sullivan before senior Hope Dobrzynski hit a one-out single in the third. Then, in the fourth, another one-out hit, this one by Donnelly, had much more of an impact. A delayed steal caught Bay Shore's defense napping and forced a throwing error by catcher Nicki Massoni that allowed Donnelly to race all the way around to third. Passaro skyed a 1-2 fastball deep enough to center to score Donnelly for a 1-0 lead.
"It was a great at-bat by Ashley," Verde said. "She was two strikes in the hole and got the job done."
Trouble for the Lady Marines arose in the fifth, but they benefited from a runner's interference call and Donnelly struck out Jackie Massoni with runners on second and third to end the inning. With one out and runners on first and second, Nicole Marzillo hit a grounder to freshman shortstop Haley Birnbaum. As Birnbaum attempted to make a play she was bowled over by Liz Weber, who was called out by the home-plate umpire.
"Melissa's always nice and calm out there," LB assistant coach Toni Papetti said. "She makes big pitches all the time."
Halfon opened the sixth with a single to right, and took second on a well-placed bunt by senior catcher Rebecca Sanger, who was flawless behind the plate all day. Donnelly followed with a run-scoring single. "We loved getting that insurance," Halfon said.
Long Beach has won 20 of its last 21 games after dropping three of its first five.
"We're going upstate with a purpose," Verde said.
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