WPCNR PRESS TABLE. June 13, 2007: Sandra Mastrangelo, the catcher, armed and dangerous; Dannie Szabo, the coast-to-coast lethal shortstop, and Juliana Bailey, regular right fielder for the White Plains Tiger fastpitch Section I Finalists in Class AA were named All-Section in League 1-A last night at the annual Section 1 Softball Awards dinner at Rudy's Beau Rivage restaurant. Szabo and Bailey's fastpitch trail came to a satisfying close last night, while Ms. Mastrangelo has another year to go behind the plate calling signals, gunning down base runners and belting doubles to the opposite field.
Tigers Forever: The Fastpitch Tiger All Stars: Juliana Bailey, left. Danni Szabo, center and Sandra Mastrangelo
Danni Szabo at shortstop, and the catlike Sandra Mastrangelo behind the plate in Tiger action in Virginia this spring. Dena Frederick is at third, as Lauren Sputo is about to pitch. Ms. Sputo, an eighth grader who won 15 and lost 7 as a the Tigers workhorse pitcher received Section recognition for Honorable Mention
Juliana Bailey Filling in at Third, foreground, with Dani Szabo at Short .
Szabo came back strongly in her senior year from a knee injury in 2006. She lead the Tigers in hitting at .449 (44 for 98) with 10 doubles, three triples and 37 runs batted in in 28 games. (Over a 162-game schedule that would work out to 228 RBIs) Szabo showed great range to her left and right and was adept at taking away Texas League flares in shallow left field near the line. Her 2-run homer in the ninth inning ousted arch rival New Rochelle from the Sectionals securing the Tigers second consecutive year as Section 1 Finalist in Class AA -- something has never been done before, making the final game two years in a row.
Manstrangelo caught all 28 games for White Plains and was rarely challenged by baserunners because of her laser arm to second. She was known for getting out from behind the plate, pouncing on bunts and squibs to take away leg hits from faster batters. Mastrangelo, a better defensive catcher than most major league catchers, took away outs by sprawling for pop fouls that spectators thought were impossible to get. She typifies the all-out effort and intensity of the Tiger softball program . Sandra was the Tiger runnerup in hitting, pounding out a .416 clip, driving in 24 runs, and working 18 walks. She lead the team in On Base Percentage at .519.
Three Outs, Three Down, Take Care of My Spot Next Year: Juliana Bailey, right with outfield picketmates, Jackie Flooks, center, who received Honorable Mention for her centerfield talents this year, hitting .276 with great gap coverage, and Christine Coppola in Juliana's final home game giving the signature Tiger Start to an inning for the last time.
Ms. Bailey, the rightfielder, and who played third for a number of games when regular thirdbaser Dena Frederick was injured, hit .306 in 27 games, and was Most Valuable Player in the R.C. Ketchum Tournament for three circus catches in right. She is known for her hustle and strong arm to the plate. In the sixth inning against New Rochelle in a scoreless game, when a ball was overthrown at first base, Bailey, backing up first base, gloved the ball clean off the fence and rifled out the runner attempting to take second by 10 feet, in perhaps the most crucial defensive play of the season.
The camaraderie and mutual respect present throughout the evening as sectional players were announced was a tribute to the spirit of competition and sportsmanship that fastpitch softball brings out in players. The rivals the Tigers have been playing with and against on travel teams, in school league games, were all present, and being seen by the seniors for the last time. In the years ahead, we'll remember these days of fierce competition in the summer sun in the cauldron of the great game.
O'Donnell's Angels!
