Lynbrook Beats Up Port Washington, 14-0

A casual competition of two non-rivals Thursday morning swiftly turned into a blow-out victory at home for the Lady Owls, 14-0, that was stopped after five innings under the mercy rule at Lynbrook's Atlantic Avenue field.

Lynbrook starting pitcher Rebecca Tisdell allowed only one hit in her shutout (to Port Washington third baseman Janice Havasy, who led off the second inning. The Lady Vikings had held Lynbrook to one hit in the bottom of the first inning. In the bottom of the second, the flood gates opened.

First baseman Kasey Keller led off with a walk. She advanced on two passed balls and scored on an error, the first of five runs — four unearned and one squeezed — that followed her at-bat.

“Collectively, we just didn’t play well,” Port Washington coach Eric Sutz said after the game. “When things went bad, we just let things pile up. So, I think, collectively, it was a letdown for them.”

With two outs and two runners on, Keller returned to the plate and hit a double to right center that bounced off the fence. Both runners scored, capping Lynbrook’s first onslaught at seven runs. Keller ended the game 3-for-3.

“She had a great game. She had a big double,” said Lynbrook coach Peter Toscano.

Tisdell struck out the side in the top of the third, on her way to ten Ks altogether.

“My pitcher always pitches well. She always throws strikes,” Toscano said after the game. “It’s important for our defense to play strong behind her. When they do, we win.”

The Lady Owls combined good offense with good defense, adding five more runs in the third and two in their last at-bat in the fourth, and committing only one error the entire game.

The Lady Owls, who are 3-5 in their conference, travel to Roslyn on the April 27 before a series of league games the following week against Jericho (7-1, tied for first) on May 3; Mineola (2-3) on May 4; and Hewlett (2-6) on May 6.

Said Toscano, “We need to win out, pretty much, to make that final playoff spot.”