Can you believe it? If you have been following the Lady Bulldogs softball team through the season, you're probably as surprised as they are. The Lady Bulldogs of Island Trees were determined to finish the season on a winning note. After three great playoff games against Mineola, Glen Cove and Clarke, the girls were set for a terrific series against Valley Stream South.

Mother Nature interrupted game one, at Mitchel Field. After a violent thunderstorm blew in just as they got started, maybe a blessing in disguise, as the first pitch of the game was smashed down the line and hit third baseman Carol Lehmann in the hand. She was in agony. Right after that the rains came and they had a chance to ice it and hope it wasn't broken. The next day the team went back to Cantiague Field praying they would have Lehmann ready to play, and that she was. She had the game-winning hit in the bottom of the 6th, scoring Elizabeth Dinolfo, who led off the inning with a single, then stole second and scored on Lehmann's hit, making the score 2-1 Lady Bulldogs. Chrissy DeMott was once again masterful; she pitched a 3-hitter and struck out 8.

Next game was Thursday at Cantiague Park, the old Lady Bulldogs showed up that day to play. A disastrous first inning filled with errors made it impossible to bounce back, Maybe the pressure of the whole thing was getting to this young team. Final score - Valley Stream 2, Bulldogs 1. DeMott pitched her heart out, allowing 6 hits, while striking out 8.

Then Coach Logan and Coach Price challenged the Lady Dawgs to pick up their intensity and take this game to the end, and they did. An absolutely thrilling game it was. The scoring started in the bottom of the second when senior Carol Lehmann singled to right, advanced to second and third on a wild pitch and stole home on a passed ball. The girls from the Valley Stream tied it up in the top of the fourth, but in the bottom of the fourth, the Lady Bulldogs exploded for 3 runs. It started when junior pitcher, Chrissy DeMott, singled to left. Courtesy runner Corinne Vinberg was sacrificed to second on a great bunt by Lehmann, then senior catcher Jaclyn Habermehl squeezed home the go ahead run with a great 2-strike bunt up the first base line. A few fielding errors by Valley Stream led to two more runs. It looked like the Dawgs were in the driver's seat. The girls from the South team refused to give up. They got one more run back, to make it 4-2. Then, MVP Chrissy DeMott and the unsung hero award winner, senior, Jaclyn Habermehl took control and shut them down, retiring 5 straight, before giving up a single to perhaps one of the best hitters in the county to Jen Cully. With a runner on first and two outs, the clean-up batter coming up, things got scary again. DeMott hung in there as she has all year long, inducing a weak ground ball that was fielded cleanly by sophomore, Jen Grella, and then the celebration started.

After graduating all but two starters last season, Island Trees knew they had their work cut out for them, but never dreamed they would be county champs. Maybe Coach Price knew something they didn't, because he said it from day one. After going 8 wins and 9 losses, things didn't look too good. Next up is a visit to Fireman's Field in Ridge for a game against the ladies from West Hampton for the title of Long Island Champs.

Congratulations to all the Lady Bulldogs.