By Dylan Butler
It was an unconventional move, but then again Steve Piorkowski is an unconventional coach.
So when the Bayside softball coach, the same guy who substitutes five at a time when heading the girls’ basketball team, told Sapphire Edwards and Kim Hattan his intentions to platoon the two senior pitchers each and every game, Edwards and Hattan put their initial bewilderment aside and decided to roll with the pitches.
The Commodores are 4-0 since the new strategy and the pitchers are warming up to the idea even more, especially after a come-from-behind 6-3 win at Bryant last Thursday.
“It’s not bad,” Edwards said. “It’s actually helpful. To see two different speeds, two rotations, it throws them off.”
After giving up three runs on three hits in the first inning, Edwards settled down and allowed just one base runner in the following three innings, striking out six.
Just when it appeared Edwards was heating up, Piorkowski made the change, and Hattan, who was playing shortstop, stepped in to pitch with Bayside (16-4, 9-1 Queens A) trailing 3-1.
Hattan picked up right where Edwards left off, retiring nine of the 10 batters she faced. She struck out five and, with the exception of Sandy Tejada’s one-out single to right field in the seventh inning, didn’t allow one ball out of the infield.
“She was having a great game, so I thought, ‘Let her finish,’” Hattan said of Edwards. “But it worked out, so I’m happy.”
Bryant (28-3, 11-1), which saw its 21-game winning streak snapped, was still three outs away from virtually clinching the division title.
But Owls ace Ally Stamatiades, who fanned 10 batters in the previous meeting between the two teams — a 3-1 Bryant win April 14 — was touched up for nine hits, including an opposite-field solo home run to right by Nicole Karr that cut Bryant’s lead to 3-2 in the sixth inning.
“I basically told them to get base runners on, and we did,” said Piorkowski, who had at least one runner on base in each inning. “We cut down on the strikeouts and we basically put the ball in play.”
The usually sure-handed Bryant defense made three errors in the seventh inning, including a costly two-run boot by first baseman Jessica Santiago that gave Bayside the lead for good.
“I don’t know if it was nerves, I don’t know what got to them, but it was uncharacteristic of the way we’ve played this year,” Bryant coach Wally Hausdorf said. “Every ball seemed to tip off a glove. I knew they weren’t going to quit because we scored three runs in the first. We didn’t help ourselves by producing afterwards.”
Franklin K. Lane 7, Grover Cleveland 6. Tasha Brignoni went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and three stolen bases, Manfrel Melendez had two runs scored and two stolen bases, and Jamie Bellettini struck out 12, allowing one hit and six unearned runs for Lane (10-1 Queens II-B).
Bayside 5, Francis Lewis 4. Dayna Navatta went 4-for-5 and hit a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning, Annel Sanchez belted a game-tying home run in the seventh inning, and Hattan escaped a no-out bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning for the Commodores.
Bryant 9, Townsend Harris 4. Allison Stupakevich had a single and two RBIs and Jackie Rodriguez had two hits and an RBI for the Owls.
Francis Lewis 14, John Adams 0. Victoria Gardner was 1-for-2 with five RBIs and two runs scored, twin sisters Stephanie and Catherine Alves were each 2-for-2 with three runs scored, and Meghan Wooley and Jennifer Smith combined to toss a five-inning no-hitter for Francis Lewis (7-4 Queens A).
Forest Hills 19, Queens Vocational 5. Maria Vega was 4-for-4 with three RBIs, Lauren Cassidy and Jessica Chow drove in three runs apiece, and Esther Doku went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs for Forest Hills (6-3 Queens II-B).
Richmond Hill 11, Flushing 1. Yajaira Infante was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored, and Diana Lopez was 3-for-3 with two runs scored for Richmond Hill (10-1 Queens III-B).
Far Rockaway 24, Springfield Gardens 11. Kerri Creary was 4-for-5 with five RBIs, Natasha Sanchez was 3-for-5 with four runs scored and four RBIs, and Venise Spence was 3-for-4 with four runs scored for Far Rockaway (7-5 Queens I-B). Mellisa Reece, Iris Santa and Shayla Yearwood drove in two runs apiece for Springfield Gardens (1-10).
Franklin K. Lane 12, Cleveland 10. Davika Ramatahal’s two-run single in the top of the seventh inning capped a four-run rally, and Marfekina Melendez tied the game with a two-run single for Lane (13-4, 8-1 Queens II-B).
Archbishop Molloy 8, The Mary Louis Academy 5. For the second time in a week, the Stanners stunned the Hilltoppers, advancing to play St. Francis in the second of two games to break a three-way tie atop the Queens standing. Kristen Connor was the hero, smacking a bases-loaded triple as part of a six-run sixth-inning rally Monday afternoon.
Stella Maris 18, Christ the King 5. The Royals were ousted from playoff contention, falling to the Lady Flippers Monday in a game to determine the fourth and final postseason spot in the borough. Mary Cait Cunneen had three hits and three RBIs, and Kerrie Harnisher had two hits and two RBIs in the win.
The Mary Louis Academy 25, St. Agnes 0. Senior hurler Stefanie Gozdziewski helped herself with three hits, including a home run and a triple, while teammate Nicole Losito had four hits, including two round-trippers. Gozdziewski also fanned 13 in the win, as Mary Louis improved to 12-6 overall and 8-2 in league play.
Christ the King 7, Stella Maris 3. The Royals picked up their third league win behind pitcher Tracy Florio’s five-hitter. Angel Livreri and Nicole Francipanne both had two hits and an RBI in the win.
Archbishop Molloy 17, St. Agnes 0. Daniela DiMonte belted a home run for the Stanners, who also got a stellar outing from starter Michelle Viana, who allowed just two hits and struck out seven. The Stanners improved to 10-8 overall and 8-2 in league play.
St. Francis Prep 15, Stella Maris 1. Pitcher Christine Hunt picked up the win, striking out nine and giving up just five hits. Christine Rocchio had three hits and two RBIs in the win.
Archbishop Molloy 3, The Mary Louis Academy 2. Molloy scored three times in the sixth to score the upset over the first-place Hilltoppers. Christina Delmaestro got the win, striking out six.
Reach Associate Sports Editor Dylan Butler by email at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
