Conover's No-Hitter Leads Lady Eagles To Victory

The Hauppauge varsity softball team took down the Harborfields Tornadoes, 13-0, on Monday afternoon. Senior captain Kayla Conover took control from the mound pitching a no-hitter. The Lady Eagle's pitching strength with Conover and Nichole Ehlinger in the bullpen makes the team a powerhouse when its bats are hot and hitting. 

Score: Hauppauge 13, Harborfields 0 

Records: Hauppauge 4-2, Harborfields 0-6

The Hero: Senior captain and pitcher Kayla Conover took control of the game from the mound, pitching a no-hitter and striking out seven of Harborfields batters. 

Conover's pitching skills were the highlight of the third inning, when she retired the Tornadoes lineup in order. Conover pitched a one-hitter earlier this season against Huntington on March 28. 

The Turning Point: The Lady Eagles made it clear they were there to win, stringing together a series of hits - mostly singles - to rack up four runs in both the first and second inning. 

It seemed as if things were about to change in the third inning, when both team's batters were retired without a run scored. This was only a brief break for Harborfields. 

In the fourth inning, the Lady Eagles wore out Harborfield's pitcher. With two outs down in the bottom of the fourth inning, Harborfields walked four Hauppauge batters back to back. Then, freshman Lauren Burturla hit a single up left center field, bringing in one RBI. She was followed by junior Megan Leun, who hit a line drive up center field to earn two RBIs.

The five runs scored in the fourth inning put out any hope Harborfields had of getting back into the game. 

The Quote: "Our schedule is very tough. It's nice to play a team like this, you get a little bit of a breather," said head coach Jim McGowan. 

The Bottom Line: McGowan said that despite a tough schedule, he's confident in the team's ability to move forward this season. There's still a long road ahead of the Lady Eagles including Shoreham-Wading River this Wednesday, but he believes the team is in the hunt for a title this year.

Key Stat: Kayla Conover threw a no-hitter, striking out seven batters in four innings. 

Who's Next? The Eagles will host Shoreham-Wading River on Wednesday at 4 p.m. 

Box Score:

* - was not played.