The Kennedy High School girl's softball team defeated West Islip High School on May 31 to clinch the class AA Long Island championship.
The team clinched the Nassau County AA Championship on May 28 after they bested Levittown’s MacArthur High School in a three-game match up against on May 28. Coaches Krista Thorn and Jack Ryan led the team to the school’s first Long Island softball championship.
Thorn is in her ninth-year coaching, while this was Ryan’s first season.
“He is a teacher in the district and is an excellent assistant coach,” she noted. “He helps the girls improve their skills in the game and has been wonderful with the team. He really helps them out with their academics as well and wants nothing more than to see them succeed.”
Previous assistant coach Dean Papakonstantis also still returns to the Cougar field when he can to support the team.
With 19 players on the roster, the team went 13-10 overall this season.
Thorn said the “whole team is a gift.”
“They are in it for each other and have so much energy and joy for anything anyone does to help the team,” she noted. “Some teammates bake for the team because they want to, while others bring attention to certain girls on the team for hitting a certain number of strikeouts or hits. This team just wants to make everyone feel special and wanted.”
Standout Statistics
· Lia Fong: senior, pitcher 144 innings pitched, has faced 621 batters 48 earned runs, has over 200 strikeouts, with an ERA of 2.328 and has only walked 33 batters. Her batting average is .418, 28 hits in 67 at bats, OPS is 1.092, 18 RBIs, and only 2 strikeouts.
· Bella Parzch: sophomore, left fielder with a .245 batting average with 13 hits and 5 RBI’s
· Maya Silkowitz: junior, has come in strong with hits when needed, batting .265 in 34 at bats and only 5 strikeouts with a .294 slugging percentage
· Reese Wasserman: junior, another important hitter who was the one to move team to the semifinals, without her walk off triple against division in the quarter finals in the bottom of the 7th inning, team wouldn’t be where they are right now. Batting .212 in 33 at bats 7 hits and 4 extremely crucial RBI’s.
· Cece Toto: freshman, right fielder, batting .302 in 53 at bats, 16 hits, 9 RBI’s
· Samantha Kapitansky: sophomore, first baseman with a fielding percentage of .944, 126 total chances and 117 putouts. A very aggressive first basemen who does whatever it takes to catch a foul ball for her pitcher and will dig and pick balls out of the dirt for her teammates throwing across the diamond.
· Kayla Indich: sophomore, second baseman, batting .288, 19 hits in 66 at bats, 23 runs scored, 12 walks, 10 stolen bases. Fielding percentage is .923, committed 4 errors in 52 chances
· Jamie Pellegrini: senior, center fielder, .279 batting average, 17 hits in 61 at bats, 13 RBI’s, Fielding percentage of .938, 16 total chances and 1 error with 14 putouts.
· Paige Seltzer: sophomore, catcher, she’s an unsung hero. She and Lia call their own games, they figure out batters and develop a plan moving forward in the game. Paige has shown incredible improvement from her eighth-grade season. Stronger arm, better in her blocking, and quicker with her transfers with throw downs and pickoffs.
• Katie Thayer: Sophmore, since 8th grade she has played 3b for me and is completely fearless. This year about halfway through the season I switched her to shortstop and she has been getting the job done and then some. She brings an ease and calmness to the infield and is extremely levelheaded for her age. Both her and Kayla Indich have been balancing the middle infield and they have fun working side by side.
• Olivia Toto: Senior, This kid has played everywhere for me since 9th grade, wherever I needed her to go there was never a doubt in her. She started off the season for me at short stop and I switched her and Katie Thayer…making this switched made everything flow and made the team better. Toto has been explosive and aggressive at her new home and has found comfort and success playing there. Both her and Sam Kapitansky have been securing the corners.
Nearly all of Thorn’s alumni players from years past have returned to catch these games.
“The majority of my alumni play or have played in college and come back whenever their season ends,” she noted.
They all come back to cheer, support, and even sometimes help out in practices.
“I have been blessed every year to always have amazing great kids,” Thorn recanted. “I’m given gifts every year.”
The Cougars next face Clarence High School on Friday, June 7 at Martha Avenue Recreation Park in Bellport in the New York State Class AA semifinals.