County Playoffs: West Softball Toughs Out Win Over Bellport

The seedings said it was a mismatch, but Hills West softball coach Rob Rizzo knew his team was in for a fight against Bellport Wednesday in the first round of the Class AA county playoffs. 

Just last week Bellport, the 18-seed, took a 7-1 lead over the second-seeded Lady Colts before the Hills offense exploded in route to a 19-9 win.  On Wednesday at , Bellport again struck first, knocking home two runs in the first inning off Hills ace . 

But there’s a reason why Hills took a 19-1 record, including reeling off 15 straight wins—and a League IV title—into the game. The team knows how to play ball, and more importantly, win games.  The Colts got on track Wednesday after the slow start against Bellport pitcher Katie Cohen and punched their ticket into the second round with a 5-3 victory. 

“Bellport is a very, very tough team,” Rizzo said afterwards. “The girls showed good heart today and we came back and played great defense.” 

Hills catcher Danica Vasa got things rolling for the Colts in the bottom of the third with a lead-off single. Ashley Nostramo sacrifice bunted Vasa over to second and then Jackie Frandolig reached base on an error.  Bitsimis came to bat and helped her cause with an RBI single to get Vasa across the plate.

Colts shortstop Morgan Hughes kept things going with a double to deep right field, which scored Frandolig and evened the score at 2-2.  Hills went on top for good in the fourth inning when Cohen issued a bases loaded walk to Hughes to make it 3-2. 

“We weren’t focused in the beginning, the first two innings,” Hughes said.  “We knew we had to keep it together.”

Some nifty glove work from Hughes and third baseman Diana Kontos helped preserve a 4-2 Hills lead in the sixth.  With one out after Kontos snared a lacer from mid-air, Hughes dove to her left to knock down a drive and got the out at first by a foot. On the Bellport bench, a coach said of the play to Hughes, “Nine times out of 10, that’s up the middle.” 

“Those are two enormous plays because they could have set the table,” Rizzo said, “and instead it really helped up momentum wise.” 

The Colts tacked on another run in the sixth behind a RBI from Jessica Kleet. Bellport would get one back against Bitsimis in its last shot at bat in the seventh, but it was Hills celebrating its 20th victory of the year and a trip to the second round at the end.

Up next, another showdown with West Babylon, which lays claim to the only victory over Hills West this year. The Colts did that defeat, though, beating West Babylon to win the league title last week.

“It’s going to be a very tough game,” Hughes said of the second round matchup. “We are going to give it our all like always and we’re not going to give up.” 

First pitch is Friday at 4 p.m. at High School West.