LSA For the Win, JV Cardinals 2016 CHSAA A Division JV Baseball Champions
Brooklyn, NY, May 20, 2016 – The La Salle Academy JV Cardinals successfully defended their 2015 title with a 5-3 victory over Nazareth to win the 2016 CHSAA A Division JV Baseball Championship at American Legion Fields. It was a typical game in the early part, with LSA and Nazareth going back and forth with the scoring. The Cards jumped up 1-0 in the top of the first only to see Nazareth score two in the bottom of the first, then add one more in the second. But unlike the previous three meetings this year (all loses by the Cardinals), LSA did not kick the game away with errors and let the Kingsmen back in, holding them off the boards for the final five innings. A day after Carlos Flores pitched a No-Hitter in the semi-final game, three LSA pitchers combined on a two hitter. Franklin Olivares picked up the win going four innings of 1 hit ball with three runs, one earned run, five strikeouts and seven walks. The captain, Nicholas Brito, got the final two outs with the tying run on base to pick up his second save of the season. However, the pitching star of the day was Matthew Camacho, who came on in relief of Olivares in the bottom of the fifth to avenge the early ghosts of games against Nazareth past. His two and a third innings (1 hit, 5Ks, 1BB) were a crucial hold against a team that had beat him twice this year. For his heroics (he also had an RBI), he was awarded the Championship Angry Bird.
Offense sells tickets; La Salle racked up 11 hits. Brito, Nicholas Rivera, Jordan Garcia and Roberto Liz lead the way with two hits each. But defense wins championships; and on this championship day LSA committed only two errors compared to the 21 in the three previous Nazareth games. On the day the Angry Bird Movie hits the theatre (coincidence of fate), La Salle won only its second JV title in the schools 100 plus years. It’s the first City Championship under Head Coach, Chris Washington. Coach Alex Cordero, who won last year’s title, is now the Head Varsity Baseball coach at La Salle. With the victory La Salle JV finishes the season above .500 at 9-8 (5-4, 2nd Place in the division – 2-0 in the playoffs) plus a CITY CHAMPIONSHIP.
