The Top 10 public school softball teams in Suffolk as selected in a preseason poll of coaches: 1. Comsewogue, 49 points; 2. East Islip, 41; 3. Bay Shore, 40; 4. Sachem, 33; 5. Shoreham-Wading River, 30; 6. Connetquot, 21; 7. Port Jefferson, 20; 8. Islip, 19; 9. Longwood, 13; 10. Newfield, 3. 

Sachem 8, Longwood 0. Sachem capitalized on 17 walks. Its runners scored on walks and wild pitches. WP – Raden. LP – Silberman. March 27 – Pictures below taken by Joseph Sullivan.

Comsewogue 4, Longwood 1. Vicki Kennedy allowed only a seventh-inning single, while striking out nine, to lead Comsewogue. Kennedy also went 2-for-2 with an RBI. WP – Kennedy. LP – Silbelman. April 1

Don’t let Longwood‘s 8-0 non-league loss to Sachem last week fool you. “I think Longwood is going to be the best team in our league,” said Tom Ferrigno, coach of Floyd, a League II opponent. Returnees for ninth-ranked Longwood include all-county catcher Jennifer Krucher as well as pitcher Melissa Silberman and infielder Jennifer Cardone. Ferrigno’s team is shooting for a playoff spot with veterans Dawn Kolkmeyer, Tina Vidal, Dawn Oppici, Kelly May and Cathy Pugliese. April 3

Longwood 12, Half Hollow Hills West 4. Jenny Krucher hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning and teammates Jenny Cardone and Kristine Heller each went 3-for-5 for Longwood. WP – Malfitany. LP – Ambruso. HR – Krucher (L). April 4

Longwood 18, Smithtown East 2. Longwood‘s Jenny Cardone went 4-for-5 and scored five runs, and Christine Heller, who was 3-for-4, scored three times. WP – Siaeva. LP – Edwards.

Smithtown East 8, Longwood 4. Tami Weber scattered four hits and had eight strikeouts for Smithtown East, which had trailed 4-1. WP – Weber. LP – Silberman. April 6

Smithtown East 8, Longwood 4. Tami Weber scattered four hits and had eight strikeouts for Smithtown East, which had trailed 4-1. WP – Weber. LP – Silberman. April 8

Longwood 18, Smithtown East 2. Longwood‘s Jenny Cardone went 4-for-5 and scored five runs, and Christine Heller, who was 3-for-4, scored three times. WP – Siaeva. LP – Edwards. April 10

Softball Bellport 18, Longwood 4. Theresa Hattemer hit a grand slam and Lois Piro singled twice and drove in three runs in a 12-run third inning as Bellport (5-0) captured the Bellport Clipper Club Tournament. WP – T. Hattemer. LP – Salera. HR – T. Hattemer (B), Dewire (B). April 13

Bad Weather Can’t Stop Bellport Reign:

Herrmann, Mark. Newsday,  17 Apr 1986

Bellport went through its Clipper Club softball tournament just as it had hoped, although not as it had planned. Inclement weather on April 4 – the day of the scheduled championship game – kept the Clippers waiting more than a week from their first-round victory on April 3 until their 18-4 championship-game triumph over Longwood last Saturday.

In between, Bellport won three League VI games. In all, the recent results gave the Clippers an early 5-0 record and helped boost them on a path to the playoffs.

“We feel we have a very talented team,” said coach Pat Lynch. But the same players finished behind Port Jefferson and Shoreham-Wading River last year. “I think the year of experience really helped. Most of our losses last year were by one or two runs.”

Pitcher Theresa Hattemer, a junior, has been most impressive. She threw a no-hitter against Rocky Point, a shutout against Miller Place and struck out nine Riverhead batters. She also hit a grand slam in the tournament final.

Lynch said that the defense has actively supported the pitcher. Denise Berrios threw out a runner at first with a throw from centerfield, preserving Hattemer’s no-hitter. Kelly Porter, an all-Suffolk catcher, retired two baserunners who had attempted to steal. And the Clippers came up with two pivotal double plays last week.

The Clippers were able to withstand the absence of injured shortstop Dana Carasig as Donna Patanjo moved over from third base and played well. Patanjo added three hits against Riverhead and two against Longwood.

Bellport’s triumphs didn’t go unnoticed by Suffolk coaches, who ranked the Clippers 10th in a weekly poll. Comsewogue was rated first, Sachem fifth, Shoreham-Wading River seventh and Longwood ninth.

Longwood 16, Connetquot 9. Laura Chiampou led Longwood‘s 14-hit attack with a double, triple, 4 RBI and three runs scored. Teammate Jenny Krucher went 2-for-3 and scored three runs. WP – Silberman. LP – Bennett. HR – Flath (C), Polcini (C). April 19

Longwood 11, H.H. Hills East 6. Jenny Cardone went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBI, and Laura Chiampou drove in four runs to lead Longwood. WP – Silberman. LP – Sahner. HR – Cardone (L). April 23

Longwood 4, Half Hollow Hills East 2. Chrissie Holmes went 3-for-4 and drove in the game-winning run with two outs in the top of the seventh. WP – Silberman. LP – Zahn. April 29

Longwood 8, North Babylon 6. Laura Chiampou’s two-run homer in the fifth broke a 6-6 tie. Jenny Krucher also hit a two-run homer for Longwood and doubled in another run. WP – Silberman. LP – Bettinger. HR – Krucher (L), Chiampou (L). April 30

Longwood 16, North Babylon 0. Junior Melissa Silberman allowed just one hit and pitched her second consecutive shutout. Longwood‘s Jenny Krucher went 5-for-5 and Debbie Miley had four RBI. WP – Silberman. LP – Bettinger. May. 3

Longwood 8, Whitman 4. Jenny Krucher and Kristine Haller had 2-run doubles for Longwood. WP – Silberman. LP – Rollins. May 7

To Longwood Girls, Dynasty Is Reality:

Herrmann, Mark. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 08 May 1986

In terms of reaching the playoffs, Longwood‘s softball team hasgone 4-for-4 recently – winning league titles in 1982 and ’83, then placing second and fourth in the two subsequent seasons. The Lions apparently are prepared to extend the streak. Entering this week’s series against second-place Whitman, they had a 7-1 record and a 1 1/2-game lead in the League II standings.

This year’s surge has been led by all-county catcher Jenny Krucher, a four-year starter who has a .500 batting average. Krucher got her 14th and 15th career home runs in a three-game sweep over North Babylon last week. The honor student recently signed with the University of Massachusetts.

Jenny Cardone, a two-time all-Suffolk shortstop, is another mainstay in the lineup, coach Kevin McCarthy said. Cardone will play for nationally ranked Adelphi next year.

But it’s not only the all-county veterans that are leading the Lions this year. McCarthy lists these players as prominent contributors: pitcher Melissa Silberman, shut out North Babylon on one hit Friday; Debbie Miley and Kristine Heller, who play first and third, respectively, and have hit productively; and outfielders Laura Chiampou and Chrissie Holmes, defensive standouts who won games with clutch hits last week.

Whitman 6, Longwood 3. Whitman’s Cindy Schneider, who relieved with two runners on and two outs in the bottom of the seventh, ended the game with a strikeout. WP – Rollins. LP – Silberman. May 9

Longwood 4, Brentwood 2. Jenny Krucher doubled and walked and scored two runs as first-place Longwood (9-2) opened a 1 1/2-game lead over runner-up Brentwood (8-3). Longwood clinched the win by scoring three runs in the fourth inning. WP – Silberman. LP – Rivera. May 13

Longwood 12, Whitman 2. Debbie Miley went 2-for-4 and scored twice and Kristine Heller added two hits and scored a run. WP – Silberman. LP – Rollins. May 15

Brentwood 1, Longwood 0. Tami DeRose scored from third when the pitcher carried a ball into dead territory after a catch in the fourth inning. Centerfielder Nicole Rice threw out a runner at the plate in the sixth to preserve the victory. WP – Rivera. LP – Silberman. May 16

Longwood 10, Floyd 4. Jenny Cardone went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and Jenny Kreucher went 2-for-3 with a triple and an RBI as Longwood improved to 12-3. WP – Silberman. LP – Barnes. May 20

Longwood 17, Half Hollow Hills East 1. Laura Chiampou hit a grand slam in the first inning and Kristine Heller went 3-for-5 with two RBI. WP – Silberman. LP – Sahner. HR – Chiampou (L). May 28

A Lion in Winter, Spring and Fall: [SUFFOLK Edition]

Herrmann, Mark. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 29 May 1986:

Jenny Krucher is an athlete for all seasons and an all-star inevery one of them. The Longwood High School student made the All-League II softballteam as a ninth-grader in the spring of 1983, and has not gone through a soccer, basketball or softball schedule since then without winning an all-league plaque.

Now, as the senior fullback/power forward/catcher approaches the end of her final season at Longwood, she is leading the first-place Lions into the softball playoffs, which begin tomorrow.

“She’s one terrific ballplayer. As an opposing coach, I can tell you that she’s always been a thorn in my side,” said Tom Ferrigno, who coaches girls basketball and softball at Floyd. “I’m going to be happy to see her graduate.

“She’s a terrific kid, aside from all her talents,” Ferrigno said.

Coaches and teammates acknowledge Krucher’s coordination, strength and aggressiveness. But just as prominent, they say, are her leadership skills. “She takes control of a game,” said Melissa Silberman, a softball teammate. “Even though I’m the pitcher, and a pitcher is supposed to control the game, she’s the one who sees everything.”

While many athletes were forsaking some sports to specialize in their best events, the 5-foot-9 Krucher was a triple-threat. She excelled at some unsavory chores: chasing speedy strikers, jostling tall players for rebounds, blocking pitches in the dirt.

“I never really considered it that way,” Krucher said. “I’ve always just enjoyed being in the middle of the action.”

This honor student – 22nd in a class of 497 – usually was in the middle of the action and at the top of team statistics sheets. She was one of the leading scorers on her soccer team, even though her position was defensive. During the 1985-86 basketball season, she was the third leading scorer in Suffolk. In softball, her .378 batting average and her strong throwing arm earned her a place on the all-Suffolk team last year.

Krucher is the only person to acheive this rare quinella: she once scored 20 points against Sue Wicks of Center Moriches, now a college basketball all-America; and she had two hits in a game against Vicki Kennedy, pitcher for the state softball champion Comsewogue team.

Performances like that require extensive rehearsal. “I’ve been taught that if you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse,” she said. Two summers ago, she persuaded her parents to drive her to Nassau several times a week for high-caliber softball games. Last summer, she played on soccer, basketball and softball teams. “It was great. There was something to do every night,” she said.

Her athletic career at the University of Massachusetts will not be so diversified. She will play softball in the spring and practice for it during the fall and winter.

Softball scores highest on her own preference scale. Her brightest moment in high school sports, she said, came in 1983, when the Lions reached the county softball semifinals. Her worst memory dates back to 1984, when an injury kept her out of the softball playoffs.

Of course, Krucher is not the only standout in coach Kevin McCarthy’s successful lineup. Shortstop Jenny Cardone is a two-time all-Suffolk player who is bound for Adelphi’s nationally ranked team. Debbie Miley, Kristine Heller, Laura Chiampou and Chrissie Holmes all have won games for the Lions.

But Silberman is not uncertain about Krucher’s importance. “Without her,” the pitcher said of her batterymate, “I don’t think we could win.”

Although Longwood will be one of the most experienced playoff teams in its fourth straight appearance, it is not considered one of the tournament favorites by Suffolk coaches.

Many coaches think either Comsewogue and Connetquot will win the title, but they feel Bay Shore also has a chance. League VI champion Bellport is rated a possible contender.

Kristine Heller’s two-run, bases-loaded double in the third inning broke a 1-1 tie and helped Longwood topple top-seeded Bay Shore, 4-2, in the second round of the Class A playoffs. Laura Chiampou tied the game at 1 for Longwood with a solo homer in the second inning.

Sue Stiles singled home Lisa Riddle with the winning run in the bottom of the 12th inning as Comsewogue advanced to the final of the Suffolk Class A softball tournament yesterday with a 5-4 triumph over Longwood. Vicki Kennedy pitched a complete game, scattering five hits and striking out 13.

Softball – Class A, First Round: Ward Melville (16) at Bay Shore (1), East Islip (9) at Longwood (8), Brentwood (12) at Bellport (5), Northport (13) at Comsewogue (4), Whitman (14) at Connetquot (3), Half Hollow Hills West (11) at Smithtown West (6), Smithtown East (10) at Sachem (7), Harborfields (15) at Hauppauge (2), 4 p.m. Class C, First Round: Center Moriches (3) at Mercy (2), 4 p.m. May 30

Shortstop Jenny Cardone made eight assists on eight chances as Longwood defeated East Islip, 7-3.East Islip 000 102 0 3 3 1 Longwood 232 000 x 7 7 0 WP – Silberman. LP – Dinota. 

Longwood 013 000 0 – 4 4 1 Bay Shore 010 001 0 – 2 8 1.WP – Silberman. LP – Schlegel. HR – Chiampou (L). Kristine Heller’s two-run, bases-loaded double in the third inning broke a 1-1 tie and helped Longwood topple top-seeded Bay Shore, 4-2, in the second round of the Class A playoffs. Laura Chiampou tied the game at 1 for Longwood with a solo homer in the second inning. June 1

HIGH SCHOOLS Comsewogue, Sachem Advance to `A’ Final: [NASSAU AND SUFFOLK Edition]

Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 03 June 1986:

Sue Stiles singled home Lisa Riddle with the winning run in the bottom of the 12th inning as Comsewogue advanced to the final of the Suffolk Class A softball tournament yesterday with a 5-4 triumph over Longwood. Vicki Kennedy pitched a complete game, scattering five hits and striking out 13.

Kelly Crean, who combined on a four-hitter with Melissa Raden, hit a two-run homer in the fifth as Sachem defeated Half Hollow Hills West, 8-1, in the other semifinal. Suffolk Class A, Round 3 Longwood 101 001 000 100 – 4 5 4 Comsewogue 201 000 000 101 – 5 9 4 WP – Kennedy. LP – Silberman. Half Hollow Hills West 000 000 1 1 4 2