By The TimesLedger
Lucia Oswald Sr. C Francis Lewis
Alyssa Schneebaum may have garnered most of the attention, and awards, as the top pitcher on the city championship team, but according to Lewis coach Judy McCleary, Schneebaum wouldn’t have been nearly as successful if not for Oswald behind the plate. At the plate, the Queens College-bound slugger batted .475 with seven doubles, four triples, two home runs and 34 RBIs.
Talia Fromm Sr. C Bayside
One of the top power hitters in the city, Fromm belted five home runs — tied for third best in the ‘A’ division — and batted .449 with 18 RBIs, despite being walked 12 times in 49 at-bats during the regular season. She also had one of the top arms in the city, making base runners think twice before trying to swipe a base.
Theresa Mehlig Sr. 1B Bayside
Along with Fromm, Mehlig was one of the best one-two punches at the plate in the city. The senior first baseman capped a stellar career by batting .491 with four doubles, two triples, one home run and 23 RBIs. She also scored 26 runs during the regular season. Mehlig will bring her game to SUNY-Albany next year.
Francesca Romano Sr. P John Adams
With the exception of Francis Lewis’ Alyssa Schneebaum, there was no better pitcher in Queens. Despite pitching 14 fewer innings than Schneebaum during the regular season, Romano (11-3) had just six fewer strikeouts (154), good for second in the city. Romano, who was also named to the TimesLedger PSAL All-Queens first team in girls’ basketball, batted .547 with 27 RBIs and is heading to Molloy College in the fall.
Natasha Kirkland Sr. CF John Adams
According to John Adams head coach Tom Maher, if not for Francesca Romano, Natasha Kirkland would have been the team’s MVP. She was fifth in the ‘A’ division with four home runs and also batted .385 with 23 RBIs. But Kirkland really shined defensively, making a spectacular game-saving catch against Curtis in the playoffs. The four-year starter also had 13 assists this year, 11 coming at home plate.
Monica Pahl Jr. P Newtown
After missing a year with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, Pahl made up for lost time, leading Newtown to the PSAL ‘B’ title game, where they fell to top-seeded Bushwick. On the mound Pahl was a combined 16-1 with 153 strikeouts in 103 innings. At the plate, Pahl crushed the softball, batting .722 with nine home runs and a city-best 56 RBIs. “Not a game goes by when I don't say, ‘Wow,” said Newtown coach Wayne Crawford.
Jessica Chow Jr. P/3B Forest Hills
Nicknamed “All-world” by Forest Hills coach Jonas Garelle, Chow had a phenomenal year, leading the Rangers to the PSAL ‘B’ semifinals before bowing out to eventual champions Bushwick. She was 14-4 with 144 strikeouts, including 117 during the regular season, third best in the ‘B’ division. Chow also batted .714 during the regular season with 30 RBIs, only striking out three times in 49 at-bats.
Victoria Gardner Jr. 1B Francis Lewis
It was a scenario that played out throughout the season and the playoffs and Gardner didn’t like it one bit. Teams would constantly walk Oswald and pitch to Gardner. The junior first baseman made them pay, batting .361 with 11 RBIs. In the postseason Gardner batted .400 with five RBIs and had a pair of big hits against Tottenville in the championship game. Gardner was also solid defensively at first for the Patriots.
Rosandy Morel Sr. CF Flushing
Morel could flat out play and was a major reason the Red Devils made the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. Can she hit? How’s a .672 batting average with 11 home runs and 39 RBIs sound? Can she field? How does just three errors in three years sound? In three years at Flushing, Morel hit 43 homers and drove in 132 runs. She also hit a game-winning grand slam in the second round of the PSAL ‘B’ playoffs.
TimesLedger PSAL Softball All-Queens Second Team
Kim Hattan Jr. 2B/P Bayside
Ally Stamatiades Jr. P Bryant
Kristina Casper Sr. 1B T. Harris
Sapphire Edwards Jr. P Bayside
Jamie Bellettini Jr. P Lane
Victoria Meluzin Jr. OF Lewis
Maria Scalisi Sr. P Van Buren
Maritza Hernandez Jr. P RFK
Kedesha Farquharson Jr. P Jamaica
