Cool temperatures and strong winds didn't phase the Seaford softball team Saturday morning as they defeated longtime rivals, the Clarke Lady Rams 12-4 in a Conference A-1 game on their home turf of .
The Lady Vikings (3-5), defending conference champions, were able to overpower their opponents from the very start, and by the bottom of the fourth frame, the visiting team was trailing behind 7-1.
Clarke (2-6) headed into the game with disadvantages beyond their control that Seaford was able to work off of to secure a win. With a handful of their starters away on a school trip, the Lady Rams bumped up younger players from the junior varsity squad to fill the positions.
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Chrissy DeMott, Clarke's head coach, was impressed with how the girls stepped up to the plate in such a short time.
"The chemistry has been really great," she said. "The girls who have been on the team worked to get the younger girls ready to go and they did really well."
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Their efforts could not suffice though, as the girls of Seaford continued to sweep through the contest.
"We broke it open in the fifth inning," said Seaford head coach Rob Perpall. "We scored five more runs."
Leading the Lady Vikings at bat was team captain Victoria Wink. The senior player went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored. Lindsey Montemarano had an impressive game as well, as she went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs past home plate.
Clarke had two more shots at a comeback, but eleven runs is certainly a difficult task. In the top of the sixth, Maria Ruiz hit a double to score their final three and bump the Lady Rams up a bit on the scoreboard, 12-4.
Though the score may say differently, Sarah Cornell pitched one of her best games for Clarke according to the coach.
"She did walk a lot of batters, but she struck out seven so she didn't allow too many hits," DeMott said.
Despite their compelling victory, Seaford's coach still sees room for improvement for the team before the playoffs
"We have to play better in the clutch," Perpall said. "We left too many runners on."
Seaford will next be in action on April 27 at New Hyde Park starting at 4:45 p.m.
