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Miller Place Panthers’ glorious softball season ends at state final

by Bill Landon - June 14, 2024

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By Bill Landon

For the Miller Place softball team, the road to the NYS Class A championship title game involved consistent winning play that led them to their second-ever Suffolk County title with a 4-1 victory over Islip, May 25. Facing Seaford a week later in the Long Island championship round, Miller Place defeated the Nassau County title holder 7-4 to capture their first LIC title in program history.

Pitching ace Ava Zicchinelli, who was an eighth grader when the Panthers won their last county title back in 2021, was lights out from the circle. With the bat of Emily Lopez, they made for a potent combination. Both are juniors.

The NYS softball championship finals were held June 7-8 in North Bellport at the Martha Avenue Recreation Park sports complex. On the Friday, the Panthers defeated Section V finalist Pittsford Sutherland 4-1 to punch their ticket to the final round the following day.

On the Saturday, Section IX finalist Marlboro jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before Miller Place freshman Delaney Schleider drove in sophomore Laney Vomero on a standup double to trail 2-1 bottom of the third.

The Marlboro team stretched their legs in scoring two more runs in the fourth inning to which the Panthers had no answer.

Miller Place without a single senior on its roster finished their 2024 campaign with an impressive 21-5 record and will likely return with its starting lineup intact for next season.

Panther’s pounce to win the Suffolk County Championship

by Bill Landon - June 18, 2021

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With the Suffolk County class A softball championship title up for grabs, Miller Place forced a game three with Bayport where both teams were tied at 1-1 after three innings. The Panthers turned the tide in the bottom of the 4th when Julia Lent with bases loaded, laid off a pitch for the walk to plate Sydney Stocken for the go ahead run. Madison Power’s bat spoke next with a base hit driving in two runs to make it a three-run lead. Jessica Iavarone the starting pitcher stepped into the batter’s box and ripped a shot to deep right for a base clearing standup RBI triple to put her team out front 7-1.

Bayport managed a run in the top of the 5th but their bats went silent the rest of the way.

Photos by Bill Landon

Panthers advance to final

by Bill Landon - June 15, 2021

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Olivia Almodovar takes a cut for the Panthers in an extra inning 2-0 victory in the class A semi-final game against Islip. Photo by Bill Landon

It was a pitching duel in the Suffolk class A semi-final June 14 when Miller Place No. 2 hosted Islip No. 3 where the bats were muzzled most of the way that resulted in a scoreless game through seven innings. Miller Place pitcher Jessica Iavarone found herself in trouble in the top of the 8th of the extra inning game, when Islip loaded the bases with no outs.

If the threat of a possible season ending base hit rattled Iavarone she didn’t show it and appeared to throw harder under the pressure. The senior fanned the next three batters to retire the side unscathed.

When asked how she handled a possible season ending inning Iavarone said she felt little pressure. “Honestly what calms me is to just think that nobody’s on the field and there’s no one on base and to pitch how I know how to pitch”, the senior said. “I just threw as hard as I {could}.”

After a Julia Lent base hit, Madison Power laid down a perfect bunt moving Lent over to second and beat the throw to first. Amelia DeRosa stepped into the batter’s box who battled at the plate before the junior ripped a rope to straight away center for the game winning hit and was immediately mobbed at second base.

DeRosa described her game winning double this way, “I saw {the pitch} I hit it in the gap, I had a good feeling I felt confident who was on base,” the junior said. “I felt really good and the nerves just washed away.”

The Panthers are back home June 15 for a best of three game series against No. 5 Bayport. Game time is 4 p.m.

Photos by Bill Landon