IT’S A GRAND FINALE
Martir and Cuas lead Wolves to PSAL championship game
WHEN KEVIN MARTIR transfered to Grand Street Campus for his senior year and became teammates again with Jose Cuas, it was like reuniting the Bash Brothers.
Martir and Cuas, good friends, played together when they were younger, but Martir spent his first three years at Xaverian while Cuas was playing for the Wolves.
“When we were younger we were a two-hit combo,” Martir said. “A jab and a punch.”
Saturday at Lafayette, Martir and Cuas led Grand Street Campus to a place it has never been during coach Melvin Martinez’ 17-year tenure: the PSAL Class A title game.
The duo drove in a combined eight runs in the Wolves’ 13-4 win over John Adams, completing a sweep of the best-of-three semifinal series. The Wolves will play defending champion George Washington on Friday at MCU Park in Coney Island.
“No words to explain the joy that I’m feeling now,” Martinez said. “And I’ve had some unbelievable teams in my 17 years.”
The semifinals were a hump that Martinez could never clear. Last year, even with second-round draft pick Williams Jerez in the cleanup slot, Tottenville easily moved past Grand Street in two games. After that missed opportunity, Martir’s transfer was important to Martinez and the Wolves.
“God threw me Kevin Martir,” Martinez said. “We didn’t miss a beat.”
With Grand Street trailing 4-3 in the third inning, Martir came to the plate with one out and Cuas on second. The catcher got a fastball to hit, and he drove it high over the fence in right-center field to give the Wolves a 5-4 lead.
An inning later, it was Cuas’ turn. With the bases loaded, Cuas drilled a ball over the right fielder’s head that rolled to the fence — almost 400 feet away. By the time the ball was back to the infield, all three runners and Cuas had crossed the plate for an inside-the-park grand slam.
“I think it’s my first one,” Cuas said.
Moments later, Martir followed by hitting a ball in almost the exact same place, but he was thrown out at the plate.
After a regular season that was weaker than he would have liked, Cuas was pleased with his performance on Saturday.
“Everything I didn’t do in the season I can do now, when it matters,” Cuas said.
Grand Street will play in the final for the first time since 1953, according to Martinez. The Wolves have never won a city championship.
Cuas said he desperately wants to be part of the team that gives Grand Street Campus its first title. That way, “I could say I was on that team,” the shortstop said.
OPTIONS OPEN
With the Major League Baseball draft starting on Monday, Martir — who has committed to Maryland — left open the possibility of heading straight to the pros if he is selected high enough.
“You never know,” Martir said. “I’ve been hitting the ball pretty well. Anything is possible.”