Lady Kingsmen Win Long Island Championship

Lindsay Taylor took a moment to relish the idea of being Long Island champions with her family and friends on the field Tuesday afternoon after defeating Seaford. Then she set her sights on something higher: a state championship.

"We’re not done," said the Kings Park ace. "We’re going to go up to states and get it done."

Taylor allowed two runs on three hits in seven innings, while striking out four as the Lady Kingsmen defeated Seaford 4-2 at Martha Avenue Field in Bellport.  However,unlike previous victories this season, Taylor relied heavily on her defense, who helped her carry a perfect game into the sixth inning.

"The perfect game going was a credit to them," Taylor said of her team's errorless defense. "The defense has had my back for however many games this season. We just have been working really hard to perfect everything and we have. That’s why we did so good today. Defense made every play, made great plays. They got a few hits here and there but we still stayed on top of it and got through it."

The Lady Kingsmen (22-2) followed up with their first Long Island title, and now advance to the NYSPHSAA championship tournament at the Adirondack Sport Complex in Glens Falls on Saturday. Should they advance past their first game at 9 a.m., Kings Park will play for a state championship later that day at 2 p.m.

"The team is going to have so much fun," said Taylor. "We’re going to go up and just keep playing softball. That’s what we’ve been doing, just having a good time, stay on top of our stuff and stay focused."

Reina Torlincasi staked Taylor to an early 3-0 lead with a three-run double to right centerfield off Seaford (13-6) starter Lindsay Montemarano with one out in the first inning.

"That was major," said Kings Park head coach Kim McGinley. "Our bats were popping. They were hitting the ball, we were moving. We executed and it was a fantastic clutch hit."

"We want to try to get hits early in the game," said Torlincasi. "That was my goal to get a hit up the middle or to the right side and that’s what I did. It felt really good."

Paige Julich drove in Taylor in the bottom of the fifth, grounding a ball to Hannah Spinola at third with one out. Taylor broke for home uncontested as Spinola retired Julich, pushing the Kings Park lead to 4-0.

"Even with the 3-0 [lead], it was kind of comfortable," said Taylor. "Like ‘we can trade a run for an out here or there’ but when we got that fourth it was definitely like ok we’ve got some breathing room, and with those two runs they got, it was ok."

That last run loomed large in the top of the seventh when Montemarano led off with a line drive to left field that rolled seemingly for days in the gap. She came around to score on a fenceless inside-the-park home run and cut the Vikings deficit to 4-2.

"I left that pitch high," said Taylor. "That 0-2 riseball was just fat. I would expect anyone to do that at the plate. I would’ve taken advantage of it. That was a shot, but if there was a fence it wouldn’t have been a home run. I just shook it off and went after the next batter."

Taylor retired the next three in order and the celebration was on. But as the girls celebrated the school's first Long Island championship, one eye was kept squarely on their next goal.

"We want to win it all. That’s our main goal, to win it all. We have the team to do it, and I think we’re going to do it," said Torlincasi.