The top two baseball teams in the Boston City League North Conference will play for the city championship game Monday morning at Boston English High.
English (12-5), the North regular-season champion, defeated the South champion, Boston International, 11-4, in the first semifinal Saturday morning.
Latin Academy (11-8), the North conference runner-up, defeated East Boston, the Central champ, 12-3, in Saturday’s second semifinal.
English broke International’s back with five runs in the second inning to take a 7-2 lead. Senior catcher Jessey Valdez hit a two-run triple that scored sophomore center fielder Wanderson Pinales and sophomore third baseman Miguel Calderon.
“They were killing me outside and low,’’ Valdez said of grounding out in the first inning. “My second at-bat, I just focused on the outside pitch and killed the at-bat.’’
Junior Johamin Vicioso (5-0) got the win for English after striking out four and walking three in 6 1/3 innings. English’s ace, junior Nelson Barreiro, struck out two in 2 1/3 innings of relief.
Barreiro (3-1) will pitch Monday.
Latin Academy scored six runs in the opening inning against Eastie to back senior Sam Steeves (4-2), who got the win by striking out 10 and allowing five hits in six innings.
Monday’s game will be the rubber game between English and Latin Academy. English won the first meeting, 5-4, April 25 on Valdez’s walk-off double in the seventh. Steeves struck out Valdez in the last at-bat to clinch a 6-3 Latin Academy victory May 16.
While Barreiro pitched in relief in both games against Latin Academy, LA will throw a new look at English on Monday: junior Vincent Lopriore.
“A little bit, yeah,’’ Steeves said when asked if he was disappointed about not pitching Monday. “But Vince is also a very good pitcher, so we’re excited.
“We’re really comparable on the mound anyway and it’s a different look. As long as we get our bats going early like we did today, we’ll be fine.’’
Billerica 3, Concord-Carlisle 2 - Junior Max Frawley fired a no-hitter, fanning 12 and allowing two unearned runs for the Indians (13-6).
Barnstable 14, Taunton 2 - The Red Raiders clinched the Old Colony League title behind a 4-for-4, four-RBI performance from senior DH Sam Holway.
Softball
City League tournament - It will be a rematch of last year’s title game after East Boston and Latin Academy advanced to Monday’s final with convincing wins. Latin Academy (10-8, 8-0) beat O’Bryant, 15-2, in five innings, as junior Sydney McGrath hurled a two-hitter with 11 strikeouts. Latin Academy’s Colby Cahill went 3 for 4 with three runs and four RBIs and Rachel Kerrigan was 2 for 3 with a home run and five RBIs . . . East Boston beat West Roxbury, 17-5. Sophomore Stephanie Rizzo went the distance, striking out nine, and senior shortstop McKenzie White had a home run, double, and three RBIs. Latin Academy has won the last four City championships, including a 7-6 win over the Jets last year.
Girls’ lacrosse
Division 1 South
Whitman-Hanson 8, New Bedford 7 - After trailing the entire game, the Panthers picked up the pace behind sophomore Stephanie Warn’s five goals and one assist.
Division 2 South
Dover-Sherborn 20, Hanover 4 - Senior attackman Liz Tupanjanin (four goals, one assist) and junior midfielder Nora Klemmer (two goals, four assists) paced the Raiders (9-7-3).
Boys’ volleyball
South
Greater New Bedford 3, BC High 0 - The host Bears (13-6) prevailed in three games (26-24, 25-20, 25-21) with middle hitter Derek Lewis leading the way with 12 kills and nine solo blocks. Outside hitter Ambrose Hogan had nine kills and setter Joshua Cardozo totaled 29 assists.