Two teams stand apart for borough in PSAL playoffs

Outside of Bayside, the PSAL Class A representatives from Queens had another trying post-season, finishing 2-8. Unexpectedly, the two teams that advanced out of that group were Newtown and Bryant, not the perennial powerhouses in the borough such as Cardozo or John Adams. Although they each fell in the second round - No. 19 Newtown lost No. 3 George Washington and No. 18 Bryant succumbed to second-seeded Tottenville - the two teams earned solid playoff victories.
In their win over Cardozo, Newtown received six innings of solid pitching from their senior lefty Andres Caceres and three RBIs by catcher Victor Tejeda. Bryant, meanwhile, topped No. 15 Richmond Hill in their opener, 9-8, behind two RBIs apiece by Edgar Santos and Bryant Reyes.
For No. 13 Long Island City, the playoffs were a grave disappointment. After finally gaining a home playoff game, they fell to 20th-seeded McKee/Staten Island Tech in 10 innings, 5-2. Right-hander Omar Velazquez, who Coach Harley Watstein calls the best player in LIC history, pitched the first eight and one-third innings, allowing just two runs and striking out seven. But SI Tech scored three runs off Matt Pascarelli in the 10th. Velazquez had three hits and two stolen bases in his high school finale, but the eight other Bulldogs combined for just six hits.
–Zachary Braziller