St. Anthony's softball's Olivia Feldman turns intentional walk into two-run double in state CHSAA final win
St. Anthony’s Olivia Feldman celebrates reaching second base against Moore Catholic in the state CHSAA softball finals at Bill Edwards Stadium in Hempstead on Saturday, May 30, 2026. Credit: Dylan Thiessen
No matter the players that wear the uniforms for St. Anthony’s softball, one thing you can always expect is attention to detail.
Olivia Feldman was set to be intentionally walked in the fifth inning, but noticed the pitches were a bit close. The decision that followed allowed the freshman to flip the game and pushed the Friars towards their sixth straight state title.
“I noticed she was coming a little too close to the zone,” Feldman said. “I decided any pitch that was close, I would go get and do the job that needed to get done.”
Feldman lined a two-run double to centerfield, providing St. Anthony’s with the lead for good, in its 7-3 win over Moore Catholic in the CHSAA state championship at Bill Edwards Stadium at Hofstra on Saturday.
St. Anthony’s trailed 3-1 in the fifth after Alyssa Watson’s RBI single for Moore Catholic. Angelina Garcia and Sophia Lee each singled with one out for the Friars. Makayla Martinez drilled a double to the wall, driving in a run and narrowly making it into second.
“The feeling of hitting that ball and watching everyone’s energy go up. There’s no better feeling,” Martinez said. “They always give me great energy and I try to give it back.”
Following Feldman’s double, Gabriella King hit an RBI single to extend St. Anthony’s lead to 5-3. Martinez, who gave St. Anthony’s a lead on two different occasions in last year’s state final, brought in a run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth. Feldman hit a single to score the Friars' final run.
Nina Vandernoth allowed three runs over seven innings and struck out nine for St. Anthony’s. She retired the side in order in the final inning.
“We always say get that shutdown inning,” Vandernoth said. “Getting those insurance runs makes things easier and allows me to build more confidence.”
St. Anthony’s (25-5) defeated St. Mary’s (Buffalo) 8-0 in six innings, earlier in the semifinal.
The Friars took a 1-0 lead in the first on King’s two-out single. Feldman hit a two-run double in the fifth to give St. Anthony’s a 4-0 lead. King hit a ground ball and Feldman scored on the ensuing error, while a second error on the same play allowed King to circle the bases.
Freshman Cienna Picchioni started the first game and pitched three innings, while Feldman tossed the final three.
“We always have the confidence and belief that we are the better team,” Lee said. “No one is going to beat us. If we lose, we probably beat ourselves. We just kept pushing and it was a matter of time before we got the big hits.”
Christopher Matias covers high school sports for Newsday after spending time in Athletic Facilities and Operation at St. John’s and in Sports Information at CUNY York college.
