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Patriots prove Longwood Lions have no teeth
WMHS Softball
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April 08, 2009 | 02:54 PM
Winning ways have returned to Ward Melville softball. Last year the Patriots ended a long drought of losing seasons and thus far in 2009 they've picked up right where they left off. Last Monday the Pats rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Longwood 4-2 in League I action.
Patriots' junior pitcher Kaitlyn Meade scattered four hits, walked one and struck out 10 Lions in earning the complete game victory. With the win the Patriots improved to 3-0 on the young season while Longwood fell to 1-2. Andrea Klarman took the loss for the Lions.
"I probably could have done a little better," said Meade afterward. "I wished I could have taken back a couple of pitches."
Notably, those were the pitches she threw in the top of the fourth inning when Longwood scratched out two runs to take a 2-0 lead. Back-to-back singles and a sacrifice bunt put two Lions in scoring position with one out. Meade, however, fanned Karissa Oldham for the second out and appeared to be on her way to wiggling out of trouble. But Alexis Caruso laced a Meade offering into the left-center field gap for a double, scoring both runners. A wild pitch moved Caruso to third as Meade seemed to be struggling with her command. The 2008 All-Suffolk County hurler regained her composure and got Gina Siracisano to pop out to end the inning.
The Patriots immediately answered back in the bottom of the fourth. Singles by Haley Blunt and Dani Shangold to lead off the inning put runners on first and second with no outs, and a walk to Chrissy Theiss loaded the bases. Meade then bounced back to the mound forcing Blunt at home. A walk to Jamie Schmahl forced in the first Patriots' run, and a wild pitch knotted the score at 2-2. Courtney Caputo then grounded a single up the middle scoring Meade with the go ahead run.
The Pats padded their lead with another run in the sixth. A leadoff single by Shangold and a wild pitch put a runner on second with no outs. Theiss then grounded out moving Shangold to third. After Meade lined out to first, Schmahl singled to center scoring Shangold with the fourth Ward Melville run.
Meade took care of the rest. In the top of the seventh she struck out the side to earn her third win of the season.
"I was pleased with the outcome," said Ward Melville head coach Jeanne LaLima. "But we need to focus more on our offense. Our goal is to try and jump out in front early in the game no matter who our opponent is."
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