Phillie Guzman receives congratulations from PSAL teammates after driving in the winning run. (Robert Cole)
The Catholic league might not have the best arms after all – at least that wasn’t the case Friday night in the third annual Mayor’s Cup PSAL-CHSAA all-star game at the College of Staten Island.
In a tight pitcher’s duel, in which neither side of senior standouts could muster an extra-base hit, six PSAL pitchers combined on a two-hit shutout and John F. Kennedy’s Phillie Guzman drove in George Washington’s Alexis Torres with the game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning to snap the CHSAA’s two-year win streak.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Grand Street Campus coach Melvin Martinez, who led the PSAL. “We have a lot of talent. We showed we can match the Catholic league pitch for pitch, defense for defense. We ended the year on a good note.”
The PSAL mobbed Torres as he crossed the plate and then Guzman between first and second, celebrating the game’s first – and only – run. Nobody was happier than PSAL baseball commissioner Bob Pertsas, who wore an ear-to-ear smile during the entire postgame trophy presentation.
“He’ll probably sleep with the cup tonight,” Torres joked.
Neither side did much offensively, the two teams combined for seven singles, five by the PSAL. The CHSAA’s two hits came off Tottenville ace Vin Aiello in the first inning, but he got out of the jam by striking out Iona Prep’s Mike Briganti and retiring St. Raymond’s Leo Bravo on a groundout to shrotstop.. He worked two scoreless innings, as did Grand Street’s Gerry Gonzalez, and Stuyvesant right-hander Evan Lubin picked up the win by tossing a scoreless ninth.
Xavier’s Nick DiLeo, a St. John’s-bound left-hander, started the bottom of the frame by allowing a first-pitch single to Torres. With Torres on first, Martinez said Pertsas was giving him the bunt signal from the stands, but he had other plans. The GW power-hitting center fielder stole second and went to third on a throwing error. Guzman then drove him in with a well-struck single to right-center field.
“Being on that first team to win the Mayor’s Cup means something,” said Torres, who will attend JUCO New Mexico next year. “I didn’t win a championship, so this is a good substitute.”
Guzman, ironically, arrived late after he got stuck in traffic coming from The Bronx. He wasn’t in the initial starting lineup, but was added as an extra hitter. He had a quiet game, until his final at-bat.
“I had to get that game-winning hit,” said Guzman, bound for Southeastern Iowa JUCO in the fall.
The CHSAA’s pitching was dominant over the first eight innings, as St. Joseph by the Sea’s Chris Falcone and St. Raymond’s Anthony Colon each tossed a pair of shutout frames. Falcone’s Sea teammate Brian Russell, who announced his verbal commitment to Rhode Island after the showcase, struck out two in his lone inning of work.
The CHSAA was without two of its top hitters, Fordham Prep shortstop Anthony Velazquez and Archbishop Molloy third baseman Jonathan Ramon. Velazquez is in Arizona after inking a contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Evansville-bound Ramon had an undisclosed personal matter he needed to take care of.
“It definitely would’ve helped offensively,” Russell said. “Ramon’s a very good hitter and so is Velazquez.”
Still, he left happy, like the rest of the CHSAA all-stars.
“It was an awesome game, 0-0 for the whole game,” Russell said. “I had a great time. You’re always playing against these kids and you finally get to meet them.”