Madison is looking for its first championship. (Damion Reid)
The Post’s PSAL softball beat writer Marc Raimondi breaks down the Class A championship game between No. 1 Tottenville and No. 2 James Madison, set for 12:30 p.m. Sunday at St. John’s University.
No. 1 Tottenville Pirates
Head coach: Cathy Morano
Record: 21-0
Player to watch: Victoria McFarland
No. 2 James Madison Knights
Head coach: Jeff Meltzer
Record: 18-1
Player to watch: Kayla Hill
Outlook: If Jeff Meltzer knows who will be his starting pitcher Sunday, he isn’t telling.
“I don’t know,” the James Madison coach said. “It’s [Marie] Oneto’s turn in the rotation. I’m not sure. I was thinking about having them alternate each inning.”
Meltzer was just joking – maybe. But the big question surrounding the PSAL Class A city title game is just who will pitch. Will it be junior Kayla Hill, who three-hit Susan Wagner in the semifinals and shut down Tottenville for a long time in last year’s title game? Or Oneto, who has been just as good as Hill this year and is a different style of pitcher?
Perhaps Meltzer will use some combination of both. But it’s a nice luxury to have – two of New York City’s best pitchers at your disposal.
That isn’t where Madison’s strengths end either. The Knights have been even better hitting the ball than they were last year. Leadoff hitter Brittany O’Brien can get on base every which way and has a ton of speed once she gets there. Hill is arguably the best No. 2 hitter in the city, Gina Gerone is an extra-base hit waiting to happen and Nikki Panaro has uncanny power and probably hotter than anyone. The lineup goes deep, as well, and Madison is exceptional on defense.
Tottenville is a very similar team. The Pirates field very, very well. Nicole Palase is an exceptional pitcher. And their lineup is stout to say the least. The middle of the order, with Lisa Cutrona, Palase and Victoria McFarland, is like Murderer’s Row. It’s just about impossible for a pitcher to navigate through multiple times. It doesn’t get much easier at the top or bottom either.
Oneto did a good job getting out the last four batters in a loss to Tottenville back in April. But the Pirates still scored their share of runs in a 9-5 win. Madison also touched up Palase for five runs and hit her hard at times. Conventional wisdom says Meltzer might go to Hill considering the Pirates have seen Oneto, but who knows?
The only thing guaranteed is a clean, crisp game between two of the best teams in New York City. It could be a pitcher’s duel or it could be a slugfest. But it figures to be close and a clutch play could seal it.
Tottenville is trying to win its seventh straight title. The Pirates are the Yankees in this rivalry, the class of the league for a long time. Madison is the Red Sox, just trying to get on the board with a championship of its own.
Who will come out on top? Even the Yankees couldn’t keep the Red Sox from winning in 2004. But Tottenville doesn’t look ready to relinquish its throne yet either.
