RONKONKOMA – It was 30-plus years in the making, but the Sachem North Arrows have finally hit their target. The varsity softball team has claimed the Suffolk County title for the first time since 1993.
The Sachem North varsity softball team is a member of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) and competes in League II. The Arrows are led by 17th-year head coach Ken Sasso. He’s joined in the dugout by assistant coach Jackie Messina and volunteer assistant Sam Butler. Sachem North has won the League II title in five of the last six seasons. The Arrows finished the regular season 18-2-0.
The Arrows had a dominant season, setting a new single-season program record for wins. They also had a blast at the plate, outscoring their opponents 224 to 46.
“They’re quite amazing. The seniors have been together as starters, five of them, since they were in ninth grade.
So we’ve been building with this group for a while. They set the regular season record last year with 15 wins. They blew that away this year with 18.
Then they went through the winners bracket without a loss, which was quite satisfying,” said Sasso.
Sachem had been eyeing a county title and finally got over the hump this season, capturing the title in a 4-3 win over the Commack Cougars. The two teams played twice in the regular season, splitting the series one a piece. In the playoffs, Sachem took both games.
“It really was incredible. It’s a goal you set for yourself every year.
You realize how incredibly difficult it is to get there; there are so many obstacles. So it was really an incredible achievement, and the girls are so proud.
They love each other so much, they’re so happy,” Sasso told the Messenger.
Sasso praised his group up and down the lineup, citing strong hitters no matter who’s up to bat. Their scoring output benefited greatly from having all nine batters contribute on offense.
“We were playing a game early in the season against Lindenhurst, and my number eight batter hit one over the fence. We can all hit; everybody can hit on the team. I really don’t have a weak spot. Most high school teams, once you get past five, they’re not as good a hitter as the top of the order. They’re [Sachem] just really tough top-to-bottom hitters. I got to give credit to the girls.
We hit every day, but they put the work in on their own, too,” said Sasso.
The Arrows are equipped with a League II title and a Suffolk County title in 2026; they’ll look to add a Long Island title on Saturday.
“We’ll just play our game.
The girls are very confident. We haven’t had many setbacks, two losses to two good teams, and they were one-run losses and both on errors. So it wasn’t like we just forgot how to play.
So I think they’re confident going in. I believe they think they can beat anybody, they belong on the field, and they’re looking forward to the challenge,” said Sasso
