? The James Monroe baseball team opened the PSAL A Division playoffs Wednesday against Taft High School.

Danny Almonte hammered the ball to deep left center, leading to a three-run homer. The Eagles scored seven runs in the first inning. Scouts were on hand to watch Almonte pitch, and he didn?t disappoint. He threw a two-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts.

The Eagles, ranked seventh in the nation and the city?s top seed, advanced with a 12-0 win.