Moore Catholic Softball, Kennedy Catholic Lacrosse Win State Titles

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The Moore Catholic High School softball team survived a late rally to capture the program’s second consecutive CHSAA Class AA state championship with a 4-3 victory over Long Island champion St. Anthony’s High School at Hofstra University May 29.

Earlier in the day, Moore Catholic defeated Archbishop Molloy High School of Queens, 8-0, for the

CHSAA Class AA city championship at Kellenberg Memorial High School. The game was halted after five innings due to the mercy rule.

The Mavericks finished the season with a 28-1 record.

“I thought our girls played great,” Moore Catholic coach Kevin Payne told CNY. “We knew coming off of last season with all the returning players we had that we would definitely be setting ourselves up for a good season. While the girls achieved some of the expectations I had for them, I would have never guessed we would be looking back at the exceptional year we had. The girls worked hard all year, starting in the fall. They knew they were a talented group that could make it back to the state tournament.

“All the credit goes to those 15 girls. They believed in the coaching and messages we were trying to tell them and they definitely delivered with the results on the field.”

Kristen Brennan was the winning pitcher in both games, and Alyssa Polemeni had a save in the state

championship game. St. Anthony’s, which trailed 4-0 in the third inning, had runners on first and second with no outs in the seventh inning before Polemeni recorded the final three outs.

Miss Polemeni also delivered a solo home run, an RBI single and a two-run single against Archbishop

Molloy. Jackie Ribaudo belted a two-run homer.

In the state final, Sophia Marzo doubled home two runs, and Jenna Scotti and Miss Ribaudo each drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to highlight a four-run third inning for Moore Catholic.

The Mavericks will return nine of their 15 players in 2019.

“The returning girls are hungry and eager to put in the work,” Payne said. “It would be unfair to have the same expectations as the 2018 season but I am excited to see these young ladies get their opportunities to showcase their abilities.”

Boys lacrosse — John F. Kennedy Catholic High School captured its second CHSAA Class A state

championship in four years with a 7-6 double overtime victory over Long Island champion Holy Trinity in Somers May 17.

Jack Zona scored the winning goal off an assist from Bryan Szpindor. Sean Carroll made 18 saves in goal for the Gaels, who recorded a 7-5 win over Msgr. Farrell for the city championship.

Kennedy Catholic finished the season at 9-9 overall.

“We are so proud of our kids,” Kennedy coach Vin Savastano told CNY. “We put together the hardest schedule we’ve ever had here at Kennedy. We took our lumps early and found all of our weaknesses.

“We put together two gameplans that the kids executed to perfection leading us both to the city and state championship.”

Girls golf — St. Joseph Hill Academy defeated St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School, 3.5-1.5, to win

the CHSAA city championship at Silver Lake Golf Course on Staten Island May 30.

Junior Maria Masi and sophomores Ava Graziano and Isabella Mancino all won their matches for St.

Joseph Hill, which finished the season with a 10-0 record. St. Joseph Hill’s Victoria Alonso and St. Joseph by-the-Sea’s Gianna Elci tied in their match.

Morgan Cassella won her first-flight match for St. Joseph by-the-Sea.

Baseball — Msgr. Scanlan, the Bronx, was swept by St. Edmund Prep of Brooklyn in the CHSAA A

Division city championship best-of-three series, losing by scores of 13-11 at Fordham University May 29 and 7-6 at St. John’s University June 2.

Msgr. Scanlan finished the season at 12-5.