The Post’s PSAL softball beat writer Marc Raimondi breaks down the Class B championship between No. 1 LaGuardia and No. 7 Lab Museum, set for 10 a.m. Sunday at St. John’s University.
No. 1 LaGuardia Athletics
Head coach: Greg Brummell
Record: 21-0
Player to watch: Alex Sappington
No. 7 Lab Museum United Gators
Head coach: Charles Jessup
Record: 16-3
Player to watch: Kaylee Cimino
Outlook: There will be plenty of mixed feelings for Sarah D’Amico when she steps into the circle for Lab Museum United on Sunday morning. Her sister, Regina, was LaGuardia’s captain last year and D’Amico knows all the Athletics players either through her sister or from Little League.
“I want to win a lot,” the sophomore right-hander said. “But I can’t be that disappointed if they win.”
Lab Museum has an uphill battle if it wants to win its first softball title. With the ‘B’ double-elimination format, the Gators must beat the Athletics once in the morning and then again after the Class A championship game to procure the banner. Perhaps it was a good omen that LMU played its semifinal elimination game at John Bowne – the Queens team was the last to win two games in this scenario back in 2006 against Franklin K. Lane.
To make things even more difficult for the Gators, they will be matched up against Athletics junior pitcher Alex Sappington, the best starter in the ‘B’ league and one of the best in New York City regardless of classification. She hasn’t allowed an earned run all year and Lab Museum mustered just three hits against her in a winners bracket semifinals game Wednesday.
The Gators do have things going for them. They probably come in with the better lineup, one through nine. LMU roughed up Jamaica ace Je Lisa Rhodes in that elimination game at Bowne in an 11-3 victory. Rhodes was arguably the second best pitcher in the ‘B’ behind Sappington this year. Also, D’Amico is no slouch in the circle. LaGuardia scored just three runs on her Wednesday.
LaGuardia’s task is somewhat simple: Get Sappington a few runs of support early and watch her go to work. There isn’t many other pitchers in the city you would want to have in this situation. Could Lab Museum beat her once? Sure, anything is possible. But twice on the same day? That’s going to be one heck of a task.
