Chris Ballerini was having some flashbacks. Lab Museum United had a runner on second with one out in the seventh inning representing the tying run and the game was starting to resemble so many American Studies playoff disappointments in the past.
“We’ve always had very good teams, but we’ve always crashed out of the playoffs early,” Ballerini said. “Some were devastating losses. We’ve had tremendous teams that just came up short in the playoffs.”
Part of him also felt like this group was different, though. And it was that part of him that ended up being right.
Sophomore ace Sarah Paisner got a strikeout and a pop up back to her to finish No. 3 American Studies’ 3-2 win over No. 7 Lab Museum United in the PSAL Class B softball semifinals Friday at Clinton HS in The Bronx. The Senators take on top-seed Telecommunications in the championship game 2:30 p.m. Saturday at St. John’s University.
“I had a bad feeling at that moment in time,” Ballerini said of the top of the seventh. “But these kids are making a believer out of me. They really are.”
Paisner pitched a gem in the circle and also had two of the team’s three RBIs. It’s something the youngster, who just started pitching this season, has been doing all year for American Studies (19-1), which was making its first semifinals appearance.
“She’s carrying us at the moment,” Ballerini said. “We’re on her shoulders. We’re riding the Sarah Paisner train until it stops. … She’s by far the finest player I’ve had. We have some really, really high hopes for her.”
It’s the veterans, though, that might be appreciating this run the most, girls like Samantha Harrold, Mari Montes, Phoebe O’Connor and Saskia Rueda. They have been through those early playoff ousters and have had visions of this kind of success for years.
“In the end, losses build character,” Ballerini said. “Through those difficult times, they’ve banded together. They never sunk heads. They never felt bad for themselves. Instead, they worked harder. There were bigger goals they wanted to accomplish.”
This definitely was one of them. Lab Museum United (12-3) came in with the lower seed, but the Gators had all the experience of their title game run last year under their belts. The Senators had no such thing. Ballerini said he challenged Paisner in her head-to-head battle with LMU ace Sarah D’Amico. She and her teammates surely responded.
American Studies is no longer the team that chokes early in the postseason. The Senators are going to the championship game.
“We’re getting a little bit of payback now,” Ballerini said. “We were due. This program was due.”
No. 1 Telecom 5, No. 12 Flushing 0: Liza Acevedo twirled a three-hitter with two walks and struck out eight to lead Telecom (21-0) to its second PSAL Class B championship game appearance in three years. Cristina Morales went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Flushing finishes 12-5.
“Liza pitched great,” Telecom coach Glenn McCartney said. “Throwing strikes. Ahead in the count. She’s a competitor. She wanted it bad.”
The Yellow Jackets meet No. 3 American Studies in the final 2:30 p.m. Saturday at St. John’s University. McCartney said he took his players to L&B Spumoni Gardens after the game, but also had a message over a few slices of the Brooklyn staple’s famous Sicilian pizza.
“Don’t be happy, because we still got one more to go,” he said.