Monday, June 16, 2025
Calhoun advanced to the quarterfinals of the Nassau Class AA softball playoffs thanks to an 8-1 victory over visiting Long Beach Saturday.
It was a dominant effort from start to finish for Calhoun led by Sophia Nicastro. The freshman pitched four innings in the circle, striking out three, while also hitting two solo home runs. “I was just trying to make contact,” said Nicastro. “Anything I can do to help the team out.”
Calhoun entered the playoffs with a record of 10-9, after going 8-8 in conference play. After going on a five-game winning streak in April, the Colts lost their last five games in the regular season, leading them to head into the postseason with a sour taste in their mouths.
“We played some really tough opponents who gave us some trouble at the end of the season,” coach Michael Pisano said. “I told our players at the beginning of the playoffs that this is a new chapter and this is a fresh start. They have the ability to write their own script.”
The Colts got great contributions from sophomore Madison Martins, who hit three doubles, sophomore Adriana Lazo who had two hits, freshman Megan Hogby, who broke the game open in the 2nd inning with a three-run home run to extend Calhoun’s lead to 5-1 at the time, and also junior Kate DiPaola, who added a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Kaitlin Theodores came on in relief to pitch the final three innings, striking out four and shutting the door to secure the win.
“Today was a great day for Calhoun softball,” Pisano said. “We are going to celebrate all the big hits we had today.”
As for Long Beach, it was a tough ending to what was an excellent season. The Marines finished the regular season 16-1 and went a perfect 15-0 in conference play to capture the title. “We played as hard as we could,” coach Carmine Verde said. “I thought we battled for sure and gave it everything we had.”
There will be a strong core of returning players for Long Beach next spring. Sophomores Brianna Bothell and Avery Graziosi are expected to be key contributors along with juniors Julia DiGiorgo, who had a stolen base in the game, and Gianna Hidalgo. “We are very excited about next year,” said Verde. “We have a lot of good ball players coming back.”
The Marines are, however, losing a solid senior class led by captains Myla Sanchez and Andie Spiteri, who managed the right side of the infield at first and second base. They will be missed for sure and Verde wants them to remember the positive impacts they will leave on the program. “We accomplished some great things this year,” he said. “Winning the conference title and going undefeated is something to be proud of. This one game should not ruin the taste of the entire season.”
Calhoun also boasts a quality senior class that extended its season. “We have such a great group of seniors,” he said. “Their leadership has not gone unnoticed and we are very excited about continuing their season.”
