80 THE QUEENS COURIER • MAY 29, 2014 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com sports TOP TENNIS TEEN SOFTBALL STARS Cardozo high school tennis star takes city title again BY LIAM LA GUERRE [email protected] @liamlaguerre She’s done it again. Benjamin Cardozo junior tennis player Sabrina Xiong became a two-time PSAL individual champion after defeating Stefani Lineva of Forest Hills High School on May 21 at the National Tennis Center. Xiong, who ranks fi rst in the PSAL and also in the United States Tennis Association’s under-16 eastern section, was in top form and breezed past Lineva in two sets (6-1, 6-1). “It’s defi nitely a feel great feeling just knowing that all my hard work and training paid off,” she said. Xiong, who has been in contact with NCAA Division I college coaches, dreams of turning pro one day but fi rst plans to go to college and major in economics. But before she heads to the next level, Xiong still has something left to accomplish at the high school level. During her career at Cardozo, the Judges have come up short in the PSAL team tennis fi nals in three consecutive years. They lost against Beacon High School (4-1) on May 13 — Xiong won the only match in the best of fi ve series. In her senior year next season she hopes to lead Cardozo to a team championship. “Cardozo has always been top in tennis,” Xiong said. “Unfortunately, we’ve fallen short in the past three years. It would be great if we got it.” THE COURIER/Photo by Liam La Guerre Cardozo tennis star Sabrina Xiong is a two-time PSAL tennis champ. Photo courtesy American Softball Queens-based American Softball, a league for developmentally challenged and handicapped adults, will play against the blind and visually impaired Long Island Bombers. Queens disabled softball team to play against blind Long Island team BY LIAM LA GUERRE [email protected]/@liamlaguerre It’s not really about who wins or loses this matchup, it’s about the love of the game. Queens-based American Softball, a league for developmentally challenged and handicapped adults, will play against the Long Island Bombers, a blind and visually impaired softball team. The meeting, on June 1 in Rockville Centre, will consist of noncompetitive games between the two leagues. “This is about coming together and showing that there are opportunities for disabled players to have fun,” said Ted Fass, executive director of the Bombers. “For me, it’s just putting two groups together to have a fun day.” Both teams have adjusted forms of the sport and will combine them for the games. The Bombers play beep baseball, which involves a larger, beeping softball, two four-foot-tall buzzing bases and a set of alternate rules. Pitchers can see and aren’t counted as players. Their job is to let the batters hit. After batters make contact with the ball, players run to either buzzing bases, and if they touch it before the ball is secured by a fi elder, they score a run. American Softball usually has volunteers assisting the players in everything from running to batting. “Both teams have challenges, but one thing they love is softball,” said Randy Novick, founder of American Softball. “I think it’s a wonderful, different experience.”
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