Pearl River Softball Holds off Nyack to Remain Unbeaten

The undefeated Pearl River softball team took on winless Nyack in a game that turned out to be every bit the mismatch that was expected.

The Indians rallied for six runs in the top of the seventh, but could get no closer before the Pirates sealed a 13-6 victory to improve to 10-0 on the season.

Pearl River has found a way to win close games as well as cruising to victories on other occasions while building its perfect mark heading into Saturday's  game at Clarkstown South. Coach Mike Carlacci and senior pitcher Katie O'Flynn both expect improvement from the defending state champs.

"We’re making progress," Carlacci said. "We’ve won a lot of close games, which we like. The toughness of close games, pulling them out. We’re certainly not where we want to be. We want to be ready in two weeks when the playoffs start. It’s trying to put everything together at the same time in a game. (Our win against Clarkstown) North was the only time we did everything well in that game."

O'Flynn did not point to any one specific area that needed to improve, focusing more on the Pirates' overall performance.

"I definitely thing we still have a lot to work on," O'Flynn said. "It’s less than a month, sections are at the end of May. We still have a lot to improve, but we are definitely on the track to getting there."

O'Flynn improved to 9-0 on the season Thursday, striking out nine, giving up one hit and walking one in five shutout innings. The one hit, a single by Nyack freshman shortstop Tiff Salcito, was a liner to right on which Pearl River right fielder Shannon McKiernan appeared to throw Salcito out at first.

O'Flynn is coming back from offseason knee surgery and though she is done with her rehab, the injury is not completely behind her.

"It’s a struggle every day, but I have to think like a normal person. I have a normal knee like everybody else," O'Flynn said. "Nothing like it’s holding me back or that’s my excuse if I do badly in a game."

O'Flynn had few problems Thursday. In addition to a strong pitching performance, she drove in the Pirates' first run in the bottom of the first, then added an RBI single during Pearl River's six-run second inning. The Pirates took advantage of three Nyack errors and three walks, two of them with the bases loaded, in that inning.

"We still want to come out hard, get those first few runs and get the lead," O'Flynn said of playing an opponent that has been struggling.

Nyack (0-9) showed its youth throughout the game. Seventh grader Michaela Contreras pitched the first four innings, with another seventh grader, Megan Sneeden, throwing the final two. They combined to walk 12 batters in the game.

Sheeden walked five during a six-run fifth inning for Pearl River, which also got RBI singles from Amanda Schule, Mandy McCarthy and Kristyn Neroda in the frame.Freshman shortstop Sam Alicandri walked twice during the fifth, singled in the second and scored two runs in the contest.

Nyack took advantage of five walks to score six runs in the top of the seventh. Sneeden hit a two-run double and Salcito singled in two more before freshman pitcher Caroline Kardashian finally closed the Indians out. Salcito (3-for-3 with a walk) and Sneeden (2-for-4) accounted for all five Nyack hits.

Pearl River 13, Nyack 6

Nyack            0 0 0 0 0 0 6 --  6   5  4
Pearl River   1  6 0 0 6 0 X -- 13  7  0
WP: Katie O'Flynn (9-0); LP: Michaela Contreras
2B: N -- Sneeden