Mineola Softball Routs Valley Stream South in ‘No-Snow’ Makeup

Call Thursday’s non-league home opener for the Mineola varsity girls softball team a snow makeup for a day in which there was no snow. The Lady Mustangs finally got their first scheduled home game of the 2013 season in as their second played game, routing Valley Stream South 14-2. Mineola had previously played Wantagh, losing 8-4 in an abbreviated non-league match due to, of all things, cold weather. Their home opener in league play will be on Tuesday.

“I just wanted the girls to work on fundamentals,” head coach Anthony Tramonte said. “Do the little things right, also being aggressive. Once we opened up a lead I told them ‘you don’t even have to look at me, if you like the pitch, you hit it I want you to be aggressive’ because I want them to take aggressive swings.”

Against Valley Stream South, it was getting to be a race between the number of hits Mineola was putting up on the board and the number of hits they were taking on their ankles with Valley Stream South pitchers hitting a batter and issuing nine walks, including three straight in the fourth frame.

“I think the pitcher came unraveled after that and that’s when the inning just got out of hand,” Tramonte said, pointing to an 11-pitch at bat by Lisa DeStefano. “I think that (Howley) lost her feel for the strike zone, she got frustrated with herself and it kinda opened up the door for us.

Mineola pitcher Emily Skupp on the other hand, struck out nine and throwing a no-hitter through two and two-thirds.

“This year she looks stronger, she also looks like she’s working on locating her ball a little better too,” Tramonte said. “I want them to work pitchers. We happen to have a pitcher like Emily who doesn’t mind getting in deep counts, but when you have other pitchers who get into these deep counts, they start mentally they start to lose their edge so it’s to our advantage.”

Last year as an eighth grader, Skupp was able to blow away opponents with her searing fastballs. She also suffered numerous injuries over the course of 2012, including her ribcage and an ankle injury against Levittown. Fully healed, over the offseason she concentrated on moving her pitches as thanks to her efforts, Mineola moved up to Conference II.

“She was successful early on blowing people away with fastballs,” Tramonte said. “This year we moved up a conference so not to beat everybody with the fastball, if we move it around, then they can’t be comfortable in the box, they can’t set their feet and it’s worked already, I’ve seen it already.”

Skupp will also be batting leadoff for the Lady Mustangs, again proving her versatility as she had two singles, a walk and scored three times.

“Even with her power and her consistency, we could probably hit her third if I wanted to, but at the top she can do anything, she does everything,” Tramonte said.

Catching Skupp was Mallory Donellan – a freshman – who is also versatile behind the plate and in the outfield as well as a second leadoff hitter. Mineola will also have their entire infield returning from last year – Christina Palmenteri at third, shortstop Valerie Fischer, Lauren Fisher at second and  Addie McKeever at first – with all the baseplayers seniors.

The outfield Tramonte said will be more of a “revolving door” with seniors Priscilla Ma and Lisa DiStephano, Katie Priolo at center, as well as Donellan being the everyday rightfielder when catcher Samantha Venus is healthy.