After a mixed season, the Center Moriches varsity softball team took on Seaford last month, on June 1, during the Long Island Championship game, ending in a close loss, 1-0.
The team took on Babylon in May for the Suffolk County Championship three-game series, dominating in an only two-game win (6-4 and 8-4).
The team, according to coach Rich Roberts, who has been with the team since 2002, has been to the championship for 13 consecutive years.
“We were excited to have the opportunity to play in the Long Island Championship; obviously, we had some bumps along the way with a regular season we didn’t dominate as we normally do,” he said, proud of the team. “We were very happy, [despite] the 1-0 nine-inning heartbreakers.”
Leah Franchi, senior pitcher, said the season was one to remember.
“The bond between the girls this year was incredible, and we just came together and worked so hard every day as a team,” she said of her last season with Center Moriches, noting that it was a rebuilding year with a large portion of their starting lineup being ninth graders. “I was honored to be able to help them and mentor them. It’s such a good feeling as an upperclassman having the other girls come up to you and ask you for advice or what they could do better.”
For the majority of Franchi’s career, she was a second baseman, but this year Coach Roberts asked her to play first base.
“At Center Moriches, we have a long tradition of winning, and there was the pressure of keeping that streak going and we all knew this. We were not going to go down without a fight,” she said, reflecting on the season. “As a senior, your last season is always special, but this team truly made it unforgettable. Center Moriches softball will forever have a special place in my heart, and I can’t wait to come back and watch these girls honor the game.”
Franchi will be attending Binghampton University, studying pre-law.
Their season was overall 3-12. The team started off the season with a loss to Mt. Sinai in March, then went on to their first win the same month against Hampton Bays. The season continued with a mix of wins and losses, but finished strong with five-straight wins in May against Shoreham-Wading River (2-0), Pierson/Bridgehampton (15-1), Mattituck/Greenport/Southold (13-1).
The 2023 roster included seniors, shortstop Emma Morris, infielder and pitcher Leah Franchi, and centerfielder Courtney Davila; juniors Megan Stypulkowski, UTL, and Emma Powell, INF/P; sophomores Jenna Killkenny, OF, and Joselyn Juers, OF; and freshman Makayla Montecalvo, OF, Lilah Eten, C, Karly Coonan, INF, and Gabriella Cerillo, INF.
With three graduating seniors, Roberts said his team will be coming back with a strong core next year.
“Starting out the season as a young team, we pushed through, and I’m very proud of how far we made it,” said senior centerfield Courtney Davila. “This team has built connections that will last a lifetime, and we put everything we had out on the field.”
Davila will be attending Florida Atlantic University, majoring in elementary education.
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