The journeys of Frankie Vanderka and Olivia Galati span more than 20 years and less than 35 miles.
Long Island isn’t all they know, but it’s all they needed to know. And over the past year, they have helped change the perception of their home by chiseling away at the notion that Northeast schools can’t compete on the diamond.
Galati, a senior at Hofstra, is the winningest softball pitcher in school history. She leads the nation in strikeouts (374, to just 29 walks) and shutouts (20), one year after taking the team within one at-bat of its first College World Series. On Thursday, she pitched her fifth career perfect game, tying her for tops in NCAA history, and will lead the Pride into the NCAA Tournament this week.
Vanderka, a junior and Stony Brook’s ace, leads the team with a 2.34 ERA and is second in the nation with seven complete games. Last year, the right-hander threw a complete game three-hitter at LSU in the most important game in school history, sending the Seawolves to their first College World Series and making them the first team from New York to advance that far in 32 years.
“That was the best experience of my life,” said Vanderka, who grew up in Levittown. “It was just in the stars for us. It was kind of surreal.”
Vanderka and Galati had similar paths starting in the suburbs, dabbling in other sports before determining the pitching rubber was the only domain that mattered with their fathers forming the foundation of success.
Vanderka’s father, Frank, had a “very quick cup of coffee” with the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate in Columbus in 1967 before injuring his arm and ending his career. He is the only pitching coach Frankie has ever known. Frank knew — long before Stony Brook coach Matt Senk noticed a “real confidence and presence on the mound” — that success would come for his son.
“I knew he had the desire and the drive,” Frank said. “I said, ‘If you keep doing what you’re doing, there are no limitations.’ He always wanted the ball, always wanted to pitch. He never let anything bother him on the mound.”
In West Babylon, Galati was the only 9-year-old in the neighborhood with a knuckleball. Her father, Nick, didn’t play organized ball beyond Little League, but taught his daughter the dizzying pitch because of his lifelong infatuation with it. Her arsenal now showcases six different pitches.
“My dad’s pretty logical, and he broke it down for me really well,” Galati said. “I was young, but we went over the physics, what you have to do with your body, looking at the rotation of the ball and how to get your hand in a certain position.”
Vanderka and Galati met for the first time two weeks ago, initially just exchanging the names of mutual acquaintances, but within a few minutes, each was nodding along as the other spoke about life as a pitcher. Other times, one would uncontrollably interject — on the drawbacks of certain pitches in certain counts, a pregame bullpen session, throwing in inclement weather — bonding over knowing what few do and performing at the top of their craft.
Differences do arise. Galati prefers her strikeouts swinging, Vanderka looking. He is only slightly superstitious, pitching in the same socks every start (washed, he said), while she has “too many to count.”
But the similarities are in the soundtrack. They both come from Italian families, prefer to lead by example and relish playing “mind games.” And they always want to attack hitters.
“Hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports, so if you think about that as a pitcher, what is there to be afraid of?” Vanderka asked.
Each player had several options as recruits, but never seriously considered attending other schools, eschewing warmer weather and bigger programs for Sunday dinners with their families and familiar faces in the crowd.
“Going to Hofstra just felt right,” said Galati, who attended St. John the Baptist. “The fact that it’s 20 minutes from my house, I can go home whenever I want, but still be away, and my family can see all of my games and see how hard I’ve worked is really great.”
A list of her accomplishments is longer than the island.
Galati, who went to Hofstra games as a fan growing up, has 12 career no-hitters and is the only Hofstra player ever named to the All-American First Team, having led the nation in ERA (0.95) and shutouts last season. This season, she is tied for the most wins (37) in the country and has pitched in 51 of the Pride’s 54 games (43-11).
Recently, the New York/New Jersey Comets selected her No. 2 overall in the National Pro Fastpitch college draft, a slot which “surprised” the 5-foot-4 superstar.
“She loves making the big pitch, loves being in the spotlight, loves the camera being on her, but the more publicity she gets, the more obligated she feels to fulfill the expectations,” Hofstra coach Bill Edwards said. “She just finds a way to get outs. She’s overcome her size with a pit-bull attitude. She can’t throw as hard, but she won’t miss a spot. She’s also one of the best teammates anyone could have, sensitive, gracious. … When you hear about this generation, you look at her and say, ‘We’re in good hands.’ ”
Vanderka, a MacArthur High School alum, has been a workhorse, throwing the second-most innings in the conference, nine coming in his second career no-hitter in March, so far the highlight of the Seawolves’ season after they lost seven players to the MLB Draft.
But Vanderka refuses to believe the 22-30 squad can’t win the America East conference again and get back to where they were last season.
It already is more than he ever could have envisioned upon arriving on campus, a feeling Galati easily understands.
“I was a puny little freshman who just wanted to play ball, and everything has changed,” Galati said. “Growing up here, then four years later, everything that’s happened in softball and life, it’s really cool. I wouldn’t have done it any differently.”
Island paradise
A look at the stats and accomplishments of Hofstra’s Olivia Galati and Stony Brook’s Frankie Vanderka, both Long Island natives.
Vanderka
* From Levittown, MacArthur High
* 6-foot-2, 205 pounds
* Born: Jan. 30, 1992
* Seven complete games this season (second in nation)
* 2.34 ERA this season
* 54 strikeouts this season
* Opponents batting .220 this season
* 88 1/3 innings this season (tied for first in AEC)
* Two career no-hitters
* Threw a complete game three-hitter vs. LSU to send Seawolves to 2012 CWS
Galati
* From West Babylon, St. John the Baptist
* 5-foot-4
* Born: June 15, 1991
* 37-10 this season (tied for most wins in nation)
* Back-to-back 30-win seasons
* 20 shutouts this season
* 374 strikeouts (most in nation)
* 1.39 ERA this season
* 126-32 career record
* 5 career perfect games (tied for first in NCAA history)
* 12 career no-hitters
howard.kussoy@nypost.com