By Mitch Abramson
“Usually, I don't pitch well when it's real hot,” the senior said.With that in mind, Babooram walked 10 batters and surrendered eight runs in three innings in a 13-3 loss to Beach Channel (15-1) in the first game of the double-elimination PSAL 'B' softball championships. At least Babooram, scheduled to pitch in the second game, could rest easy after she was removed. And she came out refreshed and pitched top-seeded Richmond Hill (14-3) to a 5-2 victory at the College of Staten Island to capture the championship in Game Two.”I was ready,” she said. “I felt more relaxed, and I was focused. My concentration was where it needed to be.”Babooram and her teammates rested in between games, sitting inside an air-conditioned dormitory where they ate lunch and fooled around and generally forgot about the embarrassing loss.Richmond Hill had defeated Beach Channel 15-5 earlier in the playoffs and rationalized the poor effort as nothing more than a fluke.”We knew what we were capable of doing,” first basemen Wendy Reyes said. “Rachel knew what she had to do. She's a soldier, and we had complete confidence in her. We knew she would pull through for us.”Despite pitching back-to-back games for the first time, Babooram went the distance, striking out four and giving up two runs. She walked nine batters in the first four innings, but she also kept runners from scoring in two situations where the bases were loaded. She helped her own cause, going 3-for-3 from the plate with an RBI and two runs scored.Richmond Hill trailed 2-1 before shortstop Amy Ayala (3-for-3) smashed a three-run triple in the fifth. Once she had the lead, Babooram, who also plays basketball and volleyball for the school and cricket in an outside league, was intent on finishing what she had started. Babooram recalled last year's disappointment when the Lions were upset in the first round of the playoffs by Jamaica, and she was the third basemen on the team that lost to Forest Hills in the 2003 finals. She didn't want to leave the school without picking up some championship hardware. Babooram is headed to Queensborough College in the fall.”All the practice that we put in finally paid off,” she said. “Once you set your mind to something, there isn't anything that can stop you. I was determined to pitch well in the second game.”Reach reporter Mitch Abramson by E-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300 Ext. 130.
