La Salle Advances to Championship Round
Monday, May 27, 2024 – The La Salle Academy baseball advanced into the CHSAA Varsity Baseball Intersectional ‘A’ Division 2024 Double Elimination Championship Bracket by sweeping through the qualifying rounds defeating Monsignor Scanlan 4-2 and St. Edmund Prep, 16-12, on Friday and Saturday respectively. The Cardinals finished league play as the #6 seed and have been reseeded to #4 for the championship bracket where they will play against top-seeded, St. John’s Prep.
On Friday, La Salle hosted Scanlan at Scanlan (part of a playoff double header) and spotted them a two-run lead but chipped away with a run in the bottom of the third and then three in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by Anthony Gonzalez’ RBI triple. Gonzalez, who also picked up the save, went 3 for 4 at the plated and finished a Home Run shy of hitting for the cycle. Senior Manny Ramirez was spectacular over 6 1/3 innings, the captain, picked up the victory tossing a two-hitter giving up only 2 runs (1 earned) 3 walks and 16 strikeouts to lead his team into the 2nd round.
On Saturday, the Cardinals traveled to Brooklyn to face the #3 seed, St. Edmund Prep Eagles, in what has become an annual rite of passage for both schools. In a wildly entertaining game, La Salle outlasted St. Edmund, pounding out a season high 13 hits for a 16-12 victory at McGuire Fields in Bergen Beach. The Cardinals broke open a tie ballgame in the top of the sixth by batting around and bringing home seven runs in the inning for a 13-6 lead but had to sweat out the final two innings to move on.
Manny Ramirez has three hits and was on base five times, Kerick Tejada had two hits including a bases loaded 3 RBI triple, in the sixth inning. But it was Henry Vasseur’s clutch two-run double deep to the left center gap that provided the additional cushion La Salle needed as Edmund’s rallied for two in the bottom of the sixth and four in the bottom of the seventh, before Tejada picked up the save by striking out the Eagles last batter with a sharp curve ball and a sigh of relief.
This is the first time in two years that La Salle has advanced to the Championship Bracket. Win and fly on.
On Deck: La Salle #4 plays at St. John’s Prep #1 in Game A of the CHSAA Varsity Baseball Intersectional ‘A’ Division Double Elimination Championship Bracket on Tuesday, May 28th at ICYP Youth Program in Astoria, Queens. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30pm. The winner/loser will play again on Thursday in either the Winners bracket or losers’ bracket against the winner/loser of Game B between, Christ the King #3 and Bishop Loughlin #2.
