Local teams shine in post-season action

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With Alex Asch doing the damage on offense and Ava Cutler turning in a commanding performance on the mound, the Bronx High School of Science Wolverines softball team captured its Public School Athletic League (PSAL) ‘A’ playoff opener with a 12-5 win over Bayside High School. Asch’s two-run triple was the big blow in the game for the Wolverines (12-4), which also got one RBI apiece from Brett Zakheim, Fiona Sullivan and Kendal Chapman. Cutler scattered five hits and struck out five to pick up the victory. The Wolverines were scheduled to face Susan Wagner High School of Staten Island in the quarterfinals Wednesday, June 1 at 4 p.m. at Harris Field, after The Press went to print.

PSAL ‘B’ SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS

Riverdale-Kingsbridge Academy 7, Van Arsdale 5: Senior righthander Samantha Torres notched the win for the seventh-seeded Tigers who ran their record to 17-1 on the season. The victory advances the Tigers to the PSAL ‘B’ quarterfinals where they will meet No. 2 seed Scholars Academy of Rockaway Beach in a quarterfinal-round playoff game Wednesday June 1 at Broad Channel Field.

Manhattan Center 7, JFK Campus 6: The Lady Knights saw their season come to an end with this first-round playoff loss to the Rams. Cristina Ocasio Gonzalez had two RBI in the loss for JFK which also got an RBI apiece from Milka Martinez and Stacy Hernandez. Kim Zapata had two hits, stole two bases and scored twice for JFK, which finished their season with a 13-2 record.

 

PSAL BASEBALL ‘AAA’ PLAYOFFS

 

Madison 7, Clinton 6: With Clinton leading, 6-5, entering the seventh and final inning, the Knights struck for two runs to pull out the victory and send Governors off into the off-season with the loss in this first-round ‘AAA’ playoff game.

Midwood  7, Bronx Science 2: The Hornets scored four times in the top of the first inning and added two more runs in the second to take command of the game early and move on to the quarterfinal-round of the playoffs. John Bendik had an RBI single for the Wolverines. Who finished 6-10 in their first season on the ‘AAA’ level after reaching the PSAL semifinals in the ‘B’ division last season.

PSAL BASEBALL ‘AA’ PLAYOFFS

American Studies (Queens) 5, Riverdale-Kingsbridge Academy 1: The Tigers saw their season come to an end when they bowed out in this first-round playoff game last week. The Tigers ended their season with a 9-8 record.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

MAAC TOURNAMENT

The sixth-seeded Manhattan Jaspers began their stay in the MAAC Tournament with a 12-8 victory over No. 3 Monmouth as Jose Carrera went 3-for-6 with a triple and three RBI as sophomore Tom Cosgrove picked up the win for the Jaspers.

A day later, Manhattan dropped its first contest in the double-elimination tournament as they fell to top-seeded Fairfield, 5-2. Manhattan trailed, 2-1, entering the seventh inning when the Stags erupted for three runs and put the game out of reach for Manhattan, which saw freshman Fabian Pena hit his team-leading eighth homer of the season in the defeat.

The loss sent Manhattan into the loser’s bracket where they once again met Monmouth in an elimination game and for the second time in two days the Jaspers knocked off the Hawks, this time by an 8-1 count. The Jaspers pounded out 16 hits in the win as every member of the lineup had at least one hit. Joe Jacques was masterful on the mound as he threw a complete game while retiring 16 straight Hawks at one point.

The victory set up a matchup with No. 2 seed Siena and here is where the Jaspers season came to an abrupt end when the Saints scored four runs in the first inning and three more in the fourth inning before putting the game out of reach with five runs in the seventh to take a 12-4 lead.

The lone highlight for the Jaspers was Pena crushing his team-best ninth homer of the year as Manhattan concluded its season with a 24-31 mark. The future looks bright for the Jaspers, however, as they return 29 letterwinners, including seven position players and all three of their top starting pitchers next season.

sports notebook, Sean Brennan

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