StarBulletin.com

Eugenio and Dung shine as seniors


By

POSTED: Tuesday, May 26, 2009

There isn't an iota of regret in Joslyn Eugenio's being.

The same goes for Desi Dung. Eugenio broke a scoreless duel with a clutch two-run double in the fourth inning and Dung pitched a complete-game win as Team Altima raced past Team Armada 6-4 in Sunday's opening of the fourth annual New City Nissan Goodwill Softball Classic.

On another Central Oahu Regional Park diamond, Team Titan defeated Team Quest by the same 6-4 score.

A drenched crowd at Patsy Mink Central Oahu Regional Park enjoyed a peek at many of the state's top seniors. Eugenio, a bellwether in the rising Sacred Hearts program, played first base. She's normally an ace on the mound (the Lancers reached the state tourney and nearly upset Roosevelt in the quarterfinals), but Dung got the call in the first game of the tournament.

It was only coincidental that both players wore No. 10.

Dung, a Mid-Pacific senior, hadn't pitched since preseason, as freshmen Lindsey “;Keiki”; Carlos and Winona Pauline took charge as starting pitchers. She had a strong season at first base, but showed Sunday that she still has a consistent fastball and a nasty breaking pitch. As one of only two seniors at Mid-Pac, she was a leader by example, and the Owls followed suit by reaching the Division I state tournament for the first time.

The praise Eugenio continues to receive as a student-athlete at Sacred Hearts causes her to wince just a bit.

“;It's a team sport. It's nice that people give me recognition, but it's about the team, not the individual,”; she said. “;What makes it special is that we go to a small school, but we've made a name for our school in softball.”;

The Lancers were 1-7 in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu when they made a turnaround.

“;We thought states might not be an option, but we took it one game at a time. We stayed close and bonded more,”; Eugenio said. “;We stuck together and made it.”;

Pretty good for a talented hurler who also applied for Kamehameha Schools, but was accepted at SHA instead.

“;It worked out for the best,”; said Eugenio, who will play at St. Martin's University (Wash.) next season. “;God had a plan for me.”;