Sports
Lady Eagles Softball Edges Out Deer Park 3-1
Starting Pitcher Nicole Ehlinger shuts down the competition with 11 strikeouts.
The Hauppauge varsity softball team edged past Deer Park, 3-1, on Thursday. The victory keeps the Lady Eagles in second place in League V and provides a confidence boost, as Deer Park beat Hauppauge 1-0 earlier this season.
Score: Hauppauge 3, Deer Park 1
Record: Hauppauge 13 – 2, Deer Park 12-5 in League V
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Heroes: Starting pitcher Nicole Ehlinger controlled the pitcher’s mound for the Lady Eagles, striking out 11 Deer Park batters while allowing only three hits and one walk. She was also a defensive standout on Thursday, recording three assists from the pitcher’s circle on balls that were hit back to her. Overall, she made 14 of the 21 outs Hauppauge recorded.
“When you’ve got a pitcher like Nicole, when the ball’s put in play, you’re going to get outs,” said head coach Jim McGowan. “Nicole threw great today, she just carried us.”
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Julia McNeill hit a two-run double in the bottom of the first to put the Lady Eagles ahead 3-0. Catherine Vaughan also had a great day at the plate, going 2-for-2, with one of her hits being a double.
Turning Point: Deer Park threatened Hauppauge’s lead in the top of the sixth inning after getting back-to-back hits with no outs, but the Lady Eagles escape the inning with only one run allowed.
Quotes: “This was a huge win for us, especially because Deer Park had beaten us one-nothing, the first time we played them,” Ehlinger said.
When asked if the windy conditions at Bill Link Field were difficult to pitch in, she said, “No it wasn’t bothering me, it was actually helping me because of how I throw my screw pitch, which is an inside pitch.”
Key Stat: Ehlinger allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out 11 Deer Park batters. The run she allowed was unearned.
Bottom Line: This was a huge win for Hauppauge, which remained in second place in the League V standings with a 14-3 record. Deer Park, currently in third place, had defeated the Lady Eagles 1-0 earlier this season.
“This was probably our biggest win of the season,” said McGowan. “This is our signature win.”
Next: The Lady Eagles will hit the road to play Bingham in a non-league, friendly match on May 14 at 1 p.m.
