High School Softball

BY KIMBERLEY A. MARTIN

As far as I'm concerned it's too cold to be outdoors just yet, but there are plenty of games to check out if you're the adventurous type. Here are my picks for Friday's best match-ups:

Syosset at Oceanside, 4 p.m. -- Both teams feature quality pitching in Jaysharee Narendran and Alexandra Domanico, which means it'll come down to who can string a couple of big hits together to break open the game. The Braves, who are coming off a 12-run victory over Baldwin Wed., not only have Narendran, but also sophomore Nicole Tang -- who went 4-for-4 the other day, scoring three runs and driving in two RBI. But Oceanside has some speed and power of its own in senior catcher Ali Wigand (who went 2-for-4 with two RBI against MacArthur Wed.) and center fielder Caralee Keppler, who also drove in a run.

Long Beach at East Meadow, 4 p.m. -- So far, so good for East Meadow in terms of its pitching questions. Sophomore Lindsey McKillop got the job done against Carey on Wed., allowing just two runs and striking out 11 in a 6-2 win. The question is: how will the Jets fare against Long Beach, a perennial power. Granted, the Marines have to work out their own pitching situation, with three girls vying for a spot during preseason. But coach Carmine Verde assured me that his team's pitching will be just as strong as its hitting -- and that's a scary thought.

Laura Albanese started at Newsday as a news intern in June 2007 and joined the high school sports desk in November of that year. She graduated from Brooklyn College in June of 2007, where she served as the Brooklyn College Kingsman’s editor-in-chief and earned her B.A. in journalism. She’s also written for the Daily News and freelanced for a number of Long Island community weeklies. Though her background is in news, she's covered a number of high school teams and a smattering of college sports. A Brooklyn native, she grew up a baseball junkie in a soccer family and remains a loyal fan of both sports. She is a firm believer that professional pitchers shouldn't hide behind the DH and that fútbol is every bit as exciting as football, no matter what anyone else says.

Kimberley A. Martin spent the past year working as a local sports reporter at The Record (Hackensack, N.J.), covering everything from high school fencing to The New York City marathon to New York Jets practice. She received her B.A. from Wesleyan University in 2003 and her master's from Syracuse University in 2006. Prior to grad school, she worked at an investment management firm in Midtown Manhattan. Kimberley is also a native New Yorker and a huge Yankees fan.

Gregg Sarra, 46, has worked at Newsday for the past 21 years. He has won numerous sportswriting awards and been cited by various officials and coaches associations for his reporting. He was voted the New York High School Sportswriter of the Year in 2002, 2003 and 2005. He is a member of the Dowling College athletic Hall of Fame, the Men's Senior Baseball Hall of Fame and the Long Island Flag Football Hall of Fame for his many successes on a national level on the diamond and the gridiron.

Roderick Boone is a native Long Islander. He graduated from Uniondale High School in 1993 and received his degree in mass communications from Auburn University Montgomery. He began his career as a correspondent at the Montgomery Advertiser before spending time at the Elmira Star-Gazette, Poughkeepsie Journal, and The Journal News. He's covered a wide variety of sports in his career, ranging from high schools to the pros. But his true love lies with basketball.

Alex Labidou joined Newsday as a sportswriter in October 2007. Labidou, 24, is a graduate of Pace University with a B.A. in English. After graduating, he joined the National Basketball Association where he was an editorial assistant handling web editing and covering various NBA events. He is a New York City native. Labidou has also been a production intern at ABC News Magazines (Primetime and 20&20) and a contributor to VIBE, HoopsHype and the upcoming SET magazine. He is an avid Knicks, Yankees and Jets fan.

Chris Mascaro, 23, joined Newsday as a sportswriter in November 2007. He graduated from Cornell University in 2006, where he worked for The Cornell Daily Sun. He served as sports editor of The Sun as a junior. He also covered Cornell's football team, as well as its nationally-ranked men's hockey and men's lacrosse teams. He wrote a bi-weekly column titled "He May Be Tall," which hit on national topics in addition to Cornell-related material. After graduation, he worked as a sportswriter for The Southampton Press, covering numerous varsity teams on the East End, the Moriches, and William Floyd.

Adam Ronis covers mostly high school and college sports, and some professional sports. He has worked at Newsday for six years covering Long Island and city high schools. He also worked at the Boca Raton News. Ronis, 29, is a fantasy sports guru and holds numerous championships in baseball, football, and basketball. He is a fan of the Mets, Dallas Cowboys, and Rangers. Ronis is a softball nut, playing on several teams. He is from Flushing and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Media Studies and a minor in Journalism from Queens College.

Marc Jimenez was born and raised in the Bronx, graduated from SUNY Purchase in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature and decided to try his hand at sportswriting in the fall of 2005. He covered high school and college sports for the Riverdale Press for six months and was a contributor to MLB.com for 18 months before joining Newsday in September 2007. Marc’s favorite sports moment was when the Yankees clinched the 1996 World Series.

Joseph Staszewski is a 23-year-old graduate of St. Francis Prep High School. He graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from St. John's University. While at St. John's, Staszewski held the position of sports editor and managing editor during his four years working at The Torch, the school's award-winning student newspaper. The Middle Village resident has also freelanced for the Queens Ledger, TimesLedger and Long Island Herald newspapers. Starting his second year at Newsday, Staszewski is a die-hard Mets and Jets fan, and a former high school basketball player and assistant coach.

Darren Sands was born in Manhasset, but moved to Boston at age 10. And yes, he is a Red Sox/Patriots/Celtics fan. Sands, 23, has been with Newsday since March 2007. He attended Hofstra where he worked for the student newspaper, the Hofstra Chronicle. Sands moved back to Boston where he wrote for the Boston Globe's City Weekly section, and served a brief stint as a weekend news assistant on the city desk. When Sands isn't writing, reading, or hopelessly trying to lower his handicap, he catches up with friends and family, and plays tennis with the good folks at the tennis courts on 151st and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard. He resides in Harlem and, thanks to his girlfriend, is an adopted member of the Hokie Nation.

Marcus Henry began working for Newsday’s city edition in April 2003. He’s been a part of the Newsday high school/local college sports desk since then, covering both Long Island and New York City high schools. He has also covered the WNBA’s New York Liberty the past two seasons. Prior to coming to Newsday he spent four years working for PA SportsTicker, a real time sports newswire service. Marcus has also freelanced for the New York Amsterdam News, College and Pro Football Weekly, and the National Sports Weekly. In addition to his work on the local desk, Marcus is also a huge boxing fan. He has covered several fights for Newsday, including the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather fight and the recent Miguel Cotto-Shane Mosley battle.

Stephen Haynes is a Bronx resident and Brooklyn College student who grew up following New York sports. A New Yorker through and through, except he was born in Jamaica. Haynes, a former Newsday intern, has served as sports and managing news editor for the BC Kingsman, freelanced for local Bronx papers and written for several sports Web sites.