See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Joseph Staszewski
Brooklyn Daily
Telecommunications had a strong first season as a Class A team last year, but the Yellow Jackets still couldn’t beat division rival James Madison.
Just a year later, the Yellow Jackets not only earned a win over Madison, but broke the school’s more-than-decade-long stranglehold on the division title with a 9–7 win over the Knights in Public School Athletic League Brooklyn A softball on Thursday at the Dust Bowl.
The victory moved Telecom into sole possession of first place and the Yellow Jackets clinched the championship with a lopsided win over Bushwick on Friday.
“It just feels amazing,” said Telecom ace Cristina Morales. “I couldn’t believe it. I was so happy.”
Telecom (12–3) wouldn’t have gotten there with out Morales. The senior got the win in the circle, collected three hits and drove in five runs. Her two-out line drive triple to right center field capped a five-run bottom of the six inning to gave her team a 9–4 lead. Telecom drew four straight walks to start the rally and eventually get its star to the plate.
“I’ve coached at Tele for eight years,” coach Glenn McCartney said. “There is not another girl in eight years I would have wanted up in that spot.”
The Yellow Jackets nearly gave the game back in the top of the seventh. Madison’s Cheyenne Tatesure drilled an RBI triple and two runs scored on an error to make it 9–7 and brought the tying run to the plate. Morales then induced a comeback to end the game.
“I don’t honestly think I was worried because I counted in my pitcher and I knew my pitcher was going to throw strikes,” said Telecom junior Sydney Resto who scored twice. “I knew we were going to get it.”
That looked less likely when Madison (11–4), which won the first meeting 8–3, had control of the game early on. The Knights led 4–0 after four innings thanks to Breanna DePasquale’s two-RBI single in the third and a two-run homer from Lauren Pimpinella an inning later.
Telcom was able to chip away against Knights freshman starter Grace Sullivan. An error after a Susan Gutekunst single scored Morales in the fourth and Morales singled home Resto and Cruzado to make it 4–3 in the fifth before they eventually took the lead.
Beating Madison and claiming the division title is a major accomplishment for a program that is beginning come into its own.
“I’m very, very proud of my girls considering two years ago we were in the B,” McCartney said.
Reach reporter Joseph Staszewski at jstaszewski@cnglocal.com. Follow him on twitter @cng_staszewski.