The NY Panthers Elite won the Long Island Bandits tournament over the weekend. (Sal Capozucca)
The NY Panthers Elite started the summer travel softball season off with a bang.
The team, made up of some of New York City’s best players, won the Long Island Bandits tournament this past weekend in Kings Park, L.I., to earn a bid to the ASA Nationals in Virginia at the end of the summer.
Poly Prep’s Victoria Capozucca (Ursinus), who was featured recently in Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd, shut out the Long Island Angels in the Panthers Elite’s 8-0 victory Sunday to clinch the tourney title. New Utrecht’s Nicolette Sinagra (Molloy College) went 3-for-5 with four RBIs, St. John Villa’s Stephanie DeMartino (Post College) was 4-for-6 with three RBIs and St. Edmund Prep’s Casey Sclafani (Post College) was 2-for-4 with four RBIs.
Tottenville’s double-play duo of second baseman Lisa Cutrona (Binghamton) and Tara Gallo (New Haven) turned a pair in the game and James Madison’s Brittany O’Brien and St. Joseph by the Sea’s Jackie Bonamassa (Post College) were excellent defensively in the outfield.
In the semifinals, St. Joseph by the Sea’s Amanda Barrese (Mount St. Mary’s NY) pitched a shutout in a 12-0 win against the Long Island Mustangs. The Panthers Elite went 2-1 in pool play, but certainly ended the weekend with a flourish.