Under the direction of coaches Laura Malone and Brandon Oppenheim the 2011 varsity Lady Daler softball team finished the regular season in second place with a conference record of 10-5. Overall, they finished 13-6 in what many consider the most elite conference for Long Island softball. They began their playoff journey seeded second.
The Lady Dalers received a bye in the first round of the playoffs. The quarterfinal match up for Farmingdale was against Carey. Pitcher Isabella Corrao, along with catcher Hannah Soluri, produced a 15 strikeout, one-hit shut out.
The Lady Dalers won by the score 7-0. Kat Zabielski drove in four runs as she went 3 for 4 up at the plate. Jenna Crawford drilled a three-run homer during this game as she went 1 for 3.
Farmingdale traveled to the Mitchell Field Softball Complex for the semifinal contest against Massapequa. The Lady Dalers’ bats were on fire in the first inning as they put six runs on the board. Kat Zabielski nailed a two-run double. Corrao pitched a complete game with 12 strikeouts. The final score was 8-3 in favor of Farmingdale.
That win set the stage for another battle against East Meadow, who beat the Conference I champs MacArthur in the other semifinal match up. The Nassau County Class AA Championship series is a best two out of three for the title.
In game one, the Lady Dalers’ offense shined in the first inning as Kerri Ossenfort drove in two of the three runs they put on the scoreboard in the first inning. It was a tight defensive game throughout. Isabella was able to end a seventh inning threat by the Jets with two on base. East Meadow’s Jamie Laird, who is one of the best hitters in Nassau, blasted a shot deep to center. Lady Daler Emily Dorso was there for Farmingdale to make the catch for the third out. Corrao, along with Soluri, struck out 12 and the final score was Lady Dalers 3, Jets 1.
East Meadow never sits back as they won game two 5-1. Farmingdale’s Victoria Kornfeld drove in Kerri Ossenfort for the only run. Corrao struck out nine, with four hits and six walks.
With the series tied 1-1, a large crowd attended the championship game played on Thursday, May 26 at the Mitchell Field Complex. East Meadow scored one in the top of the first inning. Then, it was the Lady Dalers’ turn. They learned the importance of scoring runs early. Emily Dorso produced a one-run double down the third base line. Then with the bases loaded, Kristie Summus blasted a triple scoring three. The score after one inning was 5-1 in favor of Farmingdale. The bat of Kat Zabielski has been key throughout the playoffs. This Lady Daler produced a homerun in the third and finished 3 for 3 with three runs batted in. East Meadow kept fighting back, scoring another four runs. However, in the seventh inning, with the score 8-5 in favor of Farmingdale, Isabella prevailed by striking out the last two batters. Corrao showed her dominance from the circle and struck out 13.
This is first Nassau County Class AA Title for Farmingdale in over two decades. Many felt that Farmingdale softball was destined to reach a higher level, after the transfer of Isabella Corrao from St. Dominic’s two years ago. This pitcher who also has tremendous offensive ability, led the Lady Dalers to their successful season. The quest continues as they now have the opportunity to play for the Long Island Championship on Tuesday, June 7.
