The biannual grudge match between Bayside and Benjamin Cardozo softball will have a new flavor on Friday, April 3. For the first time in three seasons, the Judges will step up with a fair shot at victory — and, not to mention, a fair shot at claiming their first division title after years of Commodore dominance.
Bayside had not lost a regular-season game since May 17, 2006, when Francis Lewis jumped on Commodore starter Kasey Parente in the first inning. 2007 and 2008, meanwhile, were the years of Nicole Marra, the fire-thrower who pitched shutouts last year to Martin Van Buren, Townsend Harris, Franklin K. Lane Campus, John Bowne, William C. Bryant, Beach Channel, Martin Van Buren, and Newtown.
But graduation is a powerful thing. Finally without Marra, the Commodores lost for the first time in nearly three calendar years on March 30, falling to Townsend Harris, 7-6. The Hawks scored all seven runs off of Bayside’s Keren Baruch (CQ), although only three of them were earned.
Cardozo, which finished in third and second place in 2007 and 2008, finally has an opening. The Judges stomached a Game One nail-biter versus Francis Lewis (and won 6-5), but they followed with two decisive victories over Harris and Bowne. They have received stellar pitching from the Amanda Annicaro. Left fielder Sara Meletis, third baseman Gina Mingione, and shortstop Sandy Tomasik have been hot from the batter’s box. Catcher Angelamari Saint, too, looks to be a major contributor despite some early struggles.
Of course, one more roadblock stands in Bayside’s way even before Friday’s matchup: a Wednesday meeting with Francis Lewis, the team that almost beat Bayside last year.
Bayside, for its part, still has third baseman Nicole Vitiello and shortstop Julie Wagner, who have put up strong power numbers as the league season gets going. Baruch, despite some errors around her, has maintained a 1.75 ERA.
The Courier’s preseason prediction was that Cardozo, not Lewis, would be the team to mount the greater challenge to Bayside’s dominance. The season is still young, but winning at least one of their two 2009 games against Bayside would make the Judges a favorite to win the Queens ‘A-I’ division.
They play at Bayside Softball Field at 4:00 PM.
