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Construction crumbles under Susan Wagner team

By Joseph Staszewski

It was an unfriendly reminder to Construction of the level at which it needs to play to compete with the city’s elite softball teams.

The Red Hawks, who are younger and more inexperienced than in years past, had a rough go of it in the field and at the plate in a 12-0 run-rule loss in five innings to host Susan Wagner in a PSAL crossover game April 24. Wagner broke the game open with a seven-run fourth inning. Construction coach Marco Migliaccio was more upset with his team’s energy than its play.

“These are the games they need to be up for,” he said. “We haven’t looked this bad since the second or third game of the season. We have been catching the ball very clean, but we need to catch the ball. If we don’t catch the ball that’s what it looks like.”

Construction, which had just one league loss coming in, committed six errors and watched ace Emily Perez get hit hard by a deep Wagner lineup. The Falcons collected 12 hits. They scored three runs in the second inning and two in the third before busting it open. Wagner (7-1) is arguably the best team in the Staten Island division after beating defending champion Tottenville. Construction (7-2) learned what happens when you make mistakes against teams like that.

“I think we were confident enough,” said third baseman Nicole Ovelheira, who doubled. “Our confidence was really down. It’s something else we need to work on.”

The Red Hawks return six starters from last year’s team that reached the championship game, but graduated star Brittney Rodriguez, shortstop Amy Pirozek and outfielders Isabella Danielle and Karen Aquino. Construction managed just three hits against Wagner sophomore Samantha D’Alessio, who struck out six.

“We have new girls, yeah, but we are hitting the ball pretty well,” said Ovelheira, who doubled. “Today just wasn’t our day.”

Migliaccio has been happy with the team’s development outside of the loss to Wagner. Construction was competitive against some of the state’s top teams in the Mudville Tournament in Herkimer earlier this year, with just a 5-2 loss to Francis Lewis in PSAL play before. His club did go on to hold off St. Joseph Hill 6-5 in a non-league game the next day.

The Red Hawks still have plenty of talent with sophomore Lizul Portugal at short and in the leadoff spot and Jayleen Ovalles behind the plate. Junior Kortney Semper is slap hitter in the No. 2 hole and is playing second. Construction knows it can play with the best in the league. Migliaccio just wants to see a little more fire and concentration from his club after the loss to Wagner.

“The intensity level needs to be risen,” Migliaccio said. “Big time”