Our Lady of Mercy Softball Advances to Semis

Our Lady of Mercy Academy's softball team participated in the double-elimination Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA softball playoffs on Saturday, losing to St. Anthony's 11-1 in the 11 a.m. game but defeating St. John The Baptist in the second, 9-3.

The Mustangs will face St. Anthony's again in a semifinal Tuesday at Hofstra University, and the winner will face Kellenberg immediately afterward in the championship game. Whoever advances would have to beat undefeated Kellenberg (19-0) twice to claim the league title.

Second baseman Jessica Schild scored the only run for OLMA in the fourth inning in the first game against St. Anthony's.  Unfortunately for OLMA, they begun scoring when they were down by 11 runs. The mercy rule was called and the game ended at 11-1.

While St. Anthony's luck ran out in the next field, losing to Kellenberg 2-0, OLMA was victorious in their next game against St. John The Baptist. Neither team had a significant lead over the other for the first four innings.  By the fourth inning, the scored was tied at 2-2. However, OLMA took the future of their game into their own hands, scoring four runs in the fifth inning, and then three in the sixth inning.  

St. John's got one more run in the fifth inning, but couldn't make anything happen for the remainder of the game.  laying tight defense until the seventh and final inning, the game was concluded at 9-3. 

Hero:  Anna Petrucci hit a whopping three-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning, securing the victory against St. John's.

Turning Point:  After an evenly played four innings and the score tied 2-2, OLMA hit four runs in the fifth inning, which turned the tables for good.

Quotable: "We did a great job against St. John's," OLMA coach Meghan McArdle said. "They are a wonderful team and we had to play our best.  While we are enjoying our win, we can't forget what happened earlier today against St. Anthony's. We're going to do our best on Tuesday and hopefully make it out on top."

Bottom Line: After a tough loss against St. Anthony's, OLMA was highly motivated to come off the second field on top. However, St. John's was in the same boat as they lost against Kellenberg 12-2.  After a key fifth inning of scoring four runs, followed by scoring three runs in the sixth inning, OLMA came together as a team like they hoped.

What's Next: St. Anthony's vs. OLMA in a Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA semifinal Tuesday, 3:30 p.m. at Hofstra University.