Announcement
Rebels Reach 3-0 in Section with 6-1 Win Over Sayville
Massapequa, NY – The NBNM Rebels moved a step closer toward a return trip to the Williamsport Section 6 finals last night when they got past Sayville LL at Burns Park, 6-1. Strong pitching, clean defense, and early scores by North Bellmore North Merrick were the difference.
Starting pitcher Brian Porricelli was very effective for the Rebels collecting 7 strikeouts over his 3 2/3 and keeping Sayville batters off-balance. Meanwhile, NBNM delivered 13 hits against Sayville’s 3. NBNM did squander several scoring opportunities in leaving 10 men on base. But, with Rebels relief pitchers Jack Delaney and Alec Acri allowing just 1 hit and no walks while picking up 4 strikeouts in their combined 2 1/3 innings, it was a decisive victory.
Base hits by Billy McAdam and Matt Conry in the first inning led to a run scored by Porricelli, who reached an a fielder’s choice, for an early 1-0 lead.
A hit-by-pitch to Nick Valeriano and a walk to Eric Solomon combined with hits by Matt Coster, Delaney and McAdam led to 3 more Rebels runs in the second.
A lead-off single by Acri, successful sacrafice by Valeriano, and a well-placed single by Kevin McCleneghan put two on with one out in the Rebels’ third inning. That’s when Solomon drove a ball hard and off the wall in left center field for a big 2 RBI double and a 6-0 lead after three.
A walk to Porricelli, a single by Conry, and a successful sac bunt by Acri that was misplayed led to bases loaded, no out for the Rebels in the fourth. But NBNM could not provide even a productive out as Sayville’s pitching worked out of it. The Rebels failure to execute breathed new life into Sayville when, in the bottom of the fourth, a Newell single to lead off and a high fly ball by Sheridan that scraped the wall for a double got them on the board. However the biggest play of the half-inning was on a fastball in the dirt that got past catcher Nick Valeriano. As Sayville’s Sheridan broke for home from third, the ball caromed off the backstop, across the third base line and back into the field of play, where Porricelli alertly pounced on the loose ball and slapped a tag on the baserunner for the second out. Porricelli and Delaney then combined on a strikeout of Shaw and the one and only threat of a big inning from Sayville was ended.
While the Rebels collected 3 more hits the rest of the way, Sayville went quietly, and North Bellmore North Merrick extended its record in the Section 6 play-offs to 3-0.
The Rebels get right back into Williamsport Sectional action at 5:45 tonight, with a chance to clinch a spot in the final, when they host the Plainview LL Hawks at Seamans Neck Park.
P.S. In all likelihood, this was the last game the Rebels will ever play on the 60-foot diamond at Burns Park. It will forever evoke memories both bitter and very, very sweet for these Rebels.
