Hills East Softball Continues Playoff Push With Win Over Newfield

There's no margin for error this time of year, but with Bria Green on the mound, Hills East always seems to at least have a bit of breathing room.

The Thunderbird star hurler went the distance on Tuesday, pitching a complete game two-hit shutout, as East topped Newfield 8-0 in League III softball action.  The Thunderbirds are now 4-9, and must win their last four to make the postseason.

East lost their last two games by one run, to league leader East Islip, and League IV force West Babylon, so every play counts.  Hills catcher Bridget Serpe made two in the first inning.

The inning was full of wild pitches and passed balls, with a few walks thrown in.  With the bases loaded, Newfield's Ashley Seidel tried to score on a wild pitch, but Serpe recovered and threw to Green covering at the plate.

Moments later, it was Val Scura trying to score. Same result, as she was tagged out by Green. Green struck out Katie McGarrell with the bases full to end the threat.

"It's natural, it's my reaction when there's a runner on third and the ball gets past the catcher, I have to go cover the plate," Green said of the 2-1 putouts.

Thunderbirds coach Jim Kiernan said his catcher deserves much of the praise, as Serpe has improved her defense when it comes to catching the sometimes-wild Green.

"She's gotten better catching, period," Kiernan said. "Making those plays, you could see it was coming, it finally clicked, get back there quick, get the ball and flip it there, she made two very nice throws to the pitcher."

Green settled down, and the Thunderbirds settled in, scoring two first inning runs on a Newfield error, and plating two more in the third on a couple of wild pitches. 

In the sixth, after Julia Bertolino reached on an error, Julia Gneiser capitalized, stroking a two-run triple. A Danielle Bruno groundout made it 8-0, and Green finished things off, striking out Danielle Lynch to end it, her 11th 'K' on the day.

"She gets a ball or two on people, she thinks she has to muscle up and throw it past them, that's when she gets [wild]," Kiernan said of his ace.  "Now, she's staying under control, and they still can't really hit her, and if they do, we make the play."

Allison Hecht added two hits for the Thunderbirds, who face Smithtown East on Thursday, as the quest for the postseason continues.

"A lot of us have been on varsity for a long time," Green said.  "We've never made the playoffs, that's our inspiration to keep going."