By Zach Braziller
Three weeks ago, Cardozo began its baseball season in Washington Heights to see how it measured up against powerhouse George Washington, the defending PSAL Class A city champion. After finding themselves in a huge 11-run hole, the Judges rallied against the Trojans backups. They left feeling good after the narrow defeat, taking a moral victory back with them to Queens.
The on-the-rise program was back at GW Saturday, only this time it didn’t need to find positives out of a setback.
Cardozo rallied from an early three-run deficit. Newcomer Connor Doyle worked three impressive innings of relief for the save and the Judges shocked the Trojans 5-4 on Day 2 of the George Washington Tournament.
“Intimidation is no longer there,” Cardozo Coach Ron Gorecki said. “Cardozo is a force to be reckoned with this year. Barring injury and eligibility, be prepared for us to be in the final four.”
Unlike that first meeting, GW went with one of its aces, Kevin Torres, the entire way and had its regulars in the lineup, though slugging second baseman Henry Rodriguez was away from the team. After touching up Cardozo southpaw Adrian Castano for three runs in the second, the powerful Trojans’ lineup went quiet.
Calvin Luk stabilized the game for the Judges with two solid frames and Doyle, the hard-throwing junior righthander, slammed the door, fanning Yasmany Gomez with the tying and go-ahead runs aboard to close out the impressive victory.
“We know we have the team, we have the chemistry, we don’t think anybody’s stopping us,” Doyle said. “We’re focused on the championship and beating George Washington is a big step.”
Doyle, who came to Cardozo from Townsend Harris via a safety transfer, got the Judges going with a leadoff triple in the fourth. He scored on Nicanor Luna’s fielder’s choice and Castano, the impressive junior, was hit by a pitch and came around on catcher Nelson Rodriguez’s throwing error. And Luna crossed with the tying run on Torres’ walk.
Keith Rogers singled and scored on another Rodriguez throwing error in the fifth and Diego Gonzalez extended the lead with an opposite field homer in the sixth.
“Our chemistry is amazing,” Castano said. “We play for the name on the front of our jerseys, not on the back. This is the best team I’ve played on since I got to Cardozo.”
GW managed just three base-runners from the third through the sixth innings before finally coming alive in the seventh. Randy Rodriguez swatted a leadoff homer off Doyle, Rodriguez walked and Brian Mejia singled to center with one out. Reaching deep, Doyle fanned Alexis Torres on three straight fastballs and beat Gomez with a 1-2 heater up in the zone.
“After the home run, I turned it up a notch,” Doyle said. “I was determined to win this game for us.”
The contest had an early June feel rather than early April. The teams traded words on a few occasions. Each home run was wildly celebrated. On the final strikeout, Doyle pumped his fist and was mobbed by teammates.
Mandl understood Cardozo’s excitement. His team, after all, is the defending champion many have fingered as this year’s favorite. Then again, it was just one win.
“I’d like to see them do it again,” the coach said.
Cardozo may get that opportunity. If both teams advance to the tournament final as expected, another matchup would be set Thursday at GW at 3 p.m.
If Round 3 is anything like the previous two contests, plenty of fireworks are in store.
