Wantagh softball's Lucy Olore pitches perfect game in Nassau Class A final opener vs. Seaford
Wantagh's Lucy Olore pitches during Game 1 of the Nassau Class A softball finals against Seaford on Monday, May 25, 2026 in Farmingdale. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Wantagh would have been happy just to take the first game of the county final series, but Lucy Olore gave the team a perfect moment, worthy of celebration.
Olore tossed a perfect game in top-seeded Wantagh’s 1-0 win over second-seeded Seaford in Game 1 of the Nassau Class A softball championship series at Farmingdale State on Monday afternoon. She struck out 10 and threw 94 pitches in a game that lasted only 72 minutes.
Olore began the seventh inning by striking out the first two batters before facing Seaford’s best hitter, Rylie Betz. Olore induced a pop-up that first baseman Hailey Kissinger caught in foul territory to secure perfection.
“I got her to pop up twice before, so I wanted to go back to the same pitches that worked in those at-bats,” Olore said. “I tried to keep the ball off the plate, and luckily it worked out.”
Olore began the day with a strikeout and had five after three innings.
“Lucy has been with us for a long time. I’ve seen how she works, so I trust everything she does,” Wantagh coach Christine Moran said. “Seeing this game play out was a dream for her and us. She was here pitching as a freshman, and to be back as a junior and having a perfect game on this same stage is unbelievable.”
“I’m really not surprised. Lucy is a great pitcher,” Wantagh catcher Scarlett Bartilucci said. “She’s always working hard and doing her best to throw strikes. Today she did that as well as you can. I just had to take deep breaths myself and make sure I did my part to keep things intact.”
Said Megan Martone, “It’s not a surprise to see her pitch this well. She puts in all the extra work on and off the field. It’s fun to watch your pitcher dominate.”
Martone led off the bottom of the first for Wantagh (16-5) by drawing a walk. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kissinger, stole third with two outs and scored on a passed ball four pitches later.
“It’s about being as aggressive as I can without being thrown out,” Martone said. “If I see the ball on the ground, I have to get to the next base. I’m always thinking about the next 60 feet.”
Olore seemed to get sharper as the game progressed. The junior induced two comebackers and a groundout in the fifth. She struck out the side in the sixth, with all three batters going down looking.
“Scoring early definitely allowed me to find a groove,” Olore said. “Pitching with a lead always helps. I just stayed confident and kept trusting my teammates behind me to make plays.”
Wantagh had a tough time with Betz, who entered the day with an ERA under 1.00. She allowed two hits and a walk and struck out 10 on 79 pitches.
Olore picked up Wantagh’s first hit, leading off the bottom of the fifth with a double, but Betz retired three straight. Kissinger singled with two outs in the sixth, but Betz induced a flyout to centerfield.
Seaford (13-9) and Wantagh met in the county final two years ago, with the Vikings taking Game 3 of the series to win the title. Wantagh hopes to earn the right to hold the banner this time when it returns to Farmingdale State for Game 2 of the best-of-three series at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
“Seaford is a very formidable opponent,” Moran said. “We have a long-standing history with them, so we expected some good softball.”
When asked what she wants for an encore, Olore had a simple answer:
“Hopefully we do the same thing tomorrow.”
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.
