The Post’s PSAL softball beat writer Marc Raimondi breaks down the double-elimination Class A semifinals, which begin Tuesday.
SCHEDULE
3:30 p.m. – No. 1 LaGuardia vs. No. 5 Jamaica @ TBA
3:30 p.m. – No. 7 Lab Museum vs. No. 11 Queens HS of Teaching @ TBA
No. 1 LaGuardia Athletics
Head coach: Greg Brummell
Record: 19-0
Player to watch: Alex Sappington
No. 5 Jamaica Beavers
Head coach: Mike Pallisco
Record: 15-1
Player to watch: Je Lisa Rhodes
Outlook: This won’t just be a matchup featuring the two best pitchers in Class B; it’ll be two of the hardest throwers in the city going head to head. LaGuardia junior Alex Sappington throws in the low 60s and has not allowed an earned run all season. Her numbers are staggering. Jamaica senior Je Lisa Rhodes hasn’t been quite as dominant, but she’s close. Coach Mike Pallisco estimates her to be near the 60s as well, with much-improved control from last year.
So who comes out ahead in this clash? Whichever team makes the least amount of mistakes. Both teams won’t be making contact regularly in this game, so it will come down to which team makes the plays in the field. Both squads have similarly good lineups and it would not be a shock to see them both in the finals Sunday.
No. 7 Lab Museum Gators
Head coach: Charles Jessup
Record: 14-2
Player to watch: Sarah D’Amico
No. 11 Queens HS of Teaching Tigers
Head coach: Ayette Cabrera
Record: 16-2
Player to watch: Jessica Diaz
Outlook: Neither team was really expected to be here, but both were better than their seeds indicate. Young Lab Museum has a versatile lineup, fields pretty well and has an emerging pitcher in sophomore Sarah D’Amico. Queens HS of Teaching is a similarly youthful team with another very good ace, Jessica Diaz. Tigers coach Ayette Cabrera also has the benefit of a ‘B’ title on her résumé in 2007, so she’s been here before and knows what it takes.
Like the other game, this one figures to be a pitcher’s duel – and in the semifinals that’s not really unexpected. These two teams are incredibly similar really. It’ll almost be like looking into a mirror. Lab has 17 freshmen and sophomores, while QHST has seven. This could be a preview next season’s finals, but either team could also stake a claim to a championship game berth this week, too.