From today’s NYT:

Danny Almonte Paces Monroe at the Plate

The semifinals of the New York City Public Schools Athletic League’s baseball playoffs began yesterday after being rained out Friday and Saturday.

Danny Almonte, who has led Monroe High School with his pitching this season, played first base and was a home run short of hitting for the cycle as Monroe defeated Beacon, 13-0, at Old Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn.

In the earlier game, Tottenville took a no-hitter into the sixth, but George Washington rallied to win, 6-2.

The semifinals are best-of-three series. Game 2 of each series will be played today at St. John’s. The winners advance to a one-game playoff scheduled for Shea Stadium on Friday.

Almonte first attracted national attention when he threw a perfect game for a Bronx-based team in the 2001 Little League World Series. It was later revealed that he was 14, not 12, the age limit set by Little League.

Almonte has been scouted by the Yankees and other major league teams and is expected to be chosen in the later rounds of the amateur draft, which begins tomorrow.

Almonte went 3 for 4 with three runs batted in yesterday. Almonte pitched a complete game last Tuesday in the quarterfinals.