The second round of the Public Schools Athletic League’s Class-A softball playoffs could be mistaken for the “Staten Island-Queens Softball Invitational Tournament.” That’s because ten of the remaining 16 teams are from one of those two boroughs. However, that number soon will be trimmed down. On Thursday, May 18, seven of the eight second-round games will be played at the homes of the higher seeds. Here’s a preview of the most interesting match-ups.
No. 4 High School for Construction vs. No. 13 Telecommunication (4:00 p.m.)*
There may not be a more complete underclassman in the city than Construction sophomore Britney Rodriguez, who banged out a PSAL-best 45 hits and led the A division in strikeouts with 162. However, it was junior Kailan Luciano who was the star of the opening round with a pair of triples and four RBI, as the Red Hawks (16-1) defeated No. 29 Midwood, 9-1. Telecommunication (15-2) scored six runs in the second inning against No. 20 Long Island City on the way to a 13-4 win in round one. Junior Cristina Morales pitched seven innings without allowing an earned run and had a two RBI.
No. 5 Benjamin Cardozo vs. No. 12 Dewitt Clinton (4:00 p.m.)
Keep an eye on the catchers. Sophomore Daysia Wehder went 3-for-3 with 4 RBI as the Lady Judges (15-2) shellacked No. 28 Herbert H. Lehman, 10-0, in the first round. She led the team in RBI during the regular season with 23. Meanwhile, junior Alondra Soroa scored four times and knocked in a pair of runs in the Lady Governors’ 13-6 opening-round win against No. 21 Martin Van Buren. Still, watch out for sophomore Kimberly Martinez. She batted .408 with a team-leading 31 RBI for Clinton (11-6).
No. 6 Francis Lewis vs. No. 11 Adlai Stevenson (4:30 p.m.)
Including a 10-0 win against Walton in the first round, Francis Lewis (15-3) has outscored its last four opponents by a combined score of 43-1. Senior Bianca Concepcion, who batted .596 with 21 RBI in league play, did most of the damage in that stretch. Stevenson (12-5) plated 10 first inning runs on the way to a 19-6 thrashing of No. 20 Franklin K. Lane in the first round. Senior Keyana Brown Wiggins collected six RBI and has a team-high 39 on the season. Yes, this game could be a slugfest.
No. 8 William C. Bryant vs. No. 24 Petrides (4:30 p.m.)
Pedtrides (9-8), which often gets lost in stacked Staten Island division, beat No. 9 Stuyvesant, 5-1, in the opening round. Junior Jaclyn Dibello went the distance without giving up an earned run. Bryant (14-4) advanced behind junior Tiffany Zecena, who struck out 17 batters in the Owls’ 5-2 win over No. 25 Bushwick. If those two pitchers take the ball, this could be a close, low-scoring game.
The Rest of the Second-round Schedule:
No. 1 Tottenville vs. No. 16 Bronx Science (4:00 p.m.)
No. 2 Susan Wagner 9, No. 18 New Dorp 3 (May 17)
No. 3 James Madison vs. No. 19 Network Technology (4:00 p.m.)
No. 7 Bayside vs. No. 10 McKee/Staten Island Tech (4:00 p.m.)
* All times listed are Eastern Standard Time.
Adam Martini is a freelance sports writer who has reported on New York City high school sports since 2000. He has covered high school basketball, baseball, football and soccer, and prep championship games at Madison Square Garden, Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium.
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