Garden City Softball Secures First Win of Season

Garden City's varsity softball team picked up its first win of the season on Wednesday afternoon with a well-deserved 5-3 victory away at Wheatley.

Despite wholesale changes to Marisa Reichman's lineup, the Trojans looked good both in the field and at the plate, improving to 1-4 in League ABC-II.

Starting pitcher Alexis Lingaas (1-0) allowed just three runs (two earned) in 5.2 innings of work. She scattered six hits and struck out five before handing the ball to senior Samantha Trapasso who recorded a perfect four-out save.

But it wasn't just the pitching that impressed. The team made just two errors on defense and the batters combined for 12 hits, putting runners on base in six of the seven innings.

After losing their first four games of the 2010 campaign, life for the Trojans was made more difficult with the news that a stomach virus had kept three players out of the game.

Jackie Mitchell, Kimberly Ryan and JV call-up Nicole Storz were all ill, and Cat Dorn was also unavailable. It meant Claudia Holub filled in at left field and Jen Wotczak got the start in right. Regular catcher Gabrielle Zafonte had to move to third base, with first baseman Joanna Matuza taking her spot behind the plate. The only Trojans starter playing in her regular position was Virginia Schieck in center field.

The changes seemed to pay dividends though. Victoria D'Antone, who moved from the No. 7 spot to the leadoff role, went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, and Holub went 2-for-3 with a walk, run and two stolen bases. Trapasso, the team's normal starting pitcher, moved from the mound to shortstop, and she added two hits and a pair of runs batted in.

The Trojans got on the board first when Trapasso singled home D'Antone for the first run of the game. Zafonte's two-out double to center field made it 2-0, and after back-to-back walks to Lingaas and Holub loaded the bases, pitcher Holly Albro walked backup first baseman Amanda Ferraro to force home a third run.

D'Antone continued her hot hitting in the fourth inning with a two-out RBI single to center field to make it 4-0, but Wheatley grabbed back a run on a pair of dropped fly balls.

The Trojans regained their four-run lead when Trapasso doubled home D'Antone from second base to forge ahead 5-1, but Wheatley fought back in the bottom of the sixth with a two-out rally of their own.

After Lingaas had retired the first two batters on infield popups, she gave up a triple to Kelly Liotta, back-to-back walks to Ashley Petrillo and Albro, and a two-run single to Jen Keller.

Trapasso came in to pitch to Megan Molloy who struck out to end the inning with the Trojans' lead still intact. Trapasso remained in the game and pitched a one-two-three final inning to ice the win.

Coach Reichman said: "It feels great to get our first win today, and I had a really good feeling that it was going to happen. The girls were in great spirits and I'm so happy for them. I'm thrilled." 

She added, "Alexis did a fantastic job on the mound, the team played very good defense all around, and the hitting was there today. It was important to get three runs early because it got the girls in the right frame of mind; that today was going to be a win."

The Trojans have Thursday and Friday off before returning to action on Saturday, April 17, at home to Hewlett. First pitch is 2 p.m.