Lady Colts Softball Wiped Out By Comets

Well, it started out promising for the Lady Colts, anyway.  But that second inning - it kind of sticks out.

A seven-run second got Hicksville going, and Calhoun's chances at a win were soon gone, as the Comets prevailed 15-6 in Conference AA-III action on Friday.  The loss dropped Calhoun to 5-8, while the first place visiting Comets improved to 13-3.

The Colts struck first.  First baseman Danielle Losee led off the game with a triple, and scored on catcher Marisa Marcigliano's single.  Calhoun got two more runners aboard, but were unable to get them home. 

Hicksville had no such trouble in the second.  Ashley Longo and Amanda Mascia each hit two-run singles, part of a seven run, six hit frame, and just like that it was 7-1.

Calhoun starter Rebecca Suss was hit hard.  The sophomore was making her second straight start for the injured Jessica Livingston, and seemed to wear down, both on the mound (11 hits, 4 walks), and at the plate (0 for 4).

"I think she ran out of gas early," coach Jason Boland said of Suss.  "I guess we were kind of expecting it since she hasn't been a pitcher for us both years here, but she gave it her all."

Third baseman Gianna Saladino was called in to relieve Suss after four innings, with her team in an 11-1 hole, one the Lady Colts did try to dig out from in the sixth.

Calhoun batted around in the frame, scoring five times with two outs.  Losee hit a two-run double, and Saladino stroked a two-run home run immediately after.

Making her first pitching appearance for the varsity squad, Saladino surrendered two runs in each of the final two innings, and Hicksville went on to a relatively easy win.

Apart from the shaky sixth, Hicksville starter Kerri Hauff was sharp, striking out six and walking only two, going the distance for the victory.

"She was consistently throwing strikes...our guys were trying to work the count, we had four strikeouts looking; next to errors, that's the worst thing to see," Boland said.

Unfortunately, the errors were there as well.  Balls dropping between defenders, glancing off gloves, and in one case, a botched rundown where no one was covering home topped the list.

"At this age, that's why practice is so important, because we can talk between games to work on little things like communication on rundowns," Boland said.

Friday's loss may have been the calm before the storm, as the Lady Colts have four games next week, so there will be ample opportunity to work on what ails them - in practice, and when it counts.

"I don't know how many errors we had overall," Colts left fielder Cassie Beccaris said.  "It wasn't our best game, but next week we have games all week, so we'll try our hardest then."

The week will start with a showdown at Kennedy tomorrow with a 4:30 p.m. start.

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