Big Innings Bring Victory to Lady Colts Softball

A back to back explosion of multi-run innings in the middle of a spirited contest spelled victory for the Calhoun Lady Colts and a little more distance from the Eagles of Valley Stream Central (0-11) Tuesday.

The uplifting 14-7 win on the Eagles' home turf put the Colts (2-8, 4-9 overall) in a two-way tie with Herricks for fifth place in League 1, Conference 2 standings as the regular season draws down.

“I was really happy with our offensive outburst,” said Jason Boland, coach, after the game. “We are capable of doing that in every game, and it felt good to come out swinging after losses to two of the conference's best teams – Oceanside and Hicksville.”

The fireworks came in the fifth and the sixth innings, after VSC showed considerable firepower of its own at the plate, punching the ball into the outfield for multi-base hits on to keep things close at 3-3.

Meanwhile, Eagles pitcher Deandra Ramkarran showed considerable pop on the mound fanning 13 Lady Colts and pitching three hit ball going into the fifth.

But in the fifth, Ramkarran ran out of gas. A walk to Allison Abbene and back to back singles for Marissa Marcigliano and Rebecca Suss loaded the bases, and the merry-go-round started turning for Calhoun. Four walks and a couple of singles later – for Abbene and Jessica Livingston the Lady Colts had put six runs on the board.

The top of the sixth saw Calhoun pad the lead even more, with four runs on five singles. It was punctuated by Abbene’s third hit and fourth RBI of the day, and a line drive single from the bat of Livingston (3-4, two RBIs) for an RBI and a run when there was an error in the field, to make it 13-5 going into the bottom of the fifth.

To their credit, the Eagles didn’t give in, scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth in an inning that could have been worse for Calhoun had it not been for a diving catch by right fielder Lauren Savarese with the bases loaded.

But the Lady Colts slammed the lid in the top of the seventh with their fourteenth run of the day. Livingston was HBP to lead off, and pinch runner Ashley Lowerre (who scored three times on the day running for Livingston) stole second, moved to third on a passed ball, and scored on an infield ground out.

In addition to the four-RBI outburst from Abbene in the ninth slot and Livingston with two clean RBIs, Marcigilano (3 RBIs) and Lauren Trimarco drove in runs, and Danielle Losee got a run in on a drive to left field that was misplayed by the Eagles’s outfielder in the sixth.

The defense showed grit against an Eagles team with considerable power at the plate. Livingston struck out six, often in tight situations, and was helped by strong play at the plate by Marcigliano to tag runners out – and a DP groundout to second base in the first, that saw Abbene field the ball cleanly, tag out the runner, and throw to Losee at first to beat the runner.

“Our infield defense played well,” said Boland. “And catcher Marisa Marcigliano made a great play on a passed ball to tag a runner out at home plate.”

The win, noted the Calhoun coach, should secure at least sixth place and will mean the team will not finish in last place.

“Hopefully, it will carry us into our last two games of the season,” he said. “Both games are against teams above us in the standings, but if we play like we did today, we have a great chance to win both games.“

Next up for the Lady Colts is Kennedy, sitting in a tie for third in the league with a 7-3 record, in a home game May 5.