Yaphank, NY – The Rebels started a new season and a new tournament on the right foot today beating the Connetquot Chiefs, 5-3, at the Baseball Heaven Labor Day Championships.

Nick 2 had an outstanding game setting the tone from the hill with a preponderance of first-pitch strikes and by staying ahead of Chiefs batters all day. He finished up throwing just 46 pitches over four complete innings of shut-out work with a five-run lead. Further, Nick helped himself in the third inning with a triple ripped through the left-centerfield gap and two-hopping the fence scoring Billy 20 all the way from first to give the Rebels a 2-0 lead. He also made a fine defensive play later in the game snagging a hard smash at first base on his backhand for an unassisted put out.

The Rebels offense did a pretty good job of putting balls in play forcing the Chiefs defense to convert. In the third inning with Nick on third base, Kevin 5 did a great job of getting the ball out of the infield driving a sac fly to rightfield. Later that inning with one man on, Mike 13 hit a ball in the direction of the Connetquot secondbaseman who couldn’t make the play and watched the ball roll to the wall in right-center. Mike came all the way around to score on the play capping a four-run inning and bringing the lead to 5-0 Rebels.

After they pushed a baserunner to third, the Chiefs half of the third inning was quickly defused by a very nice 3-3-2 double play involving Kevin 5 and Matt 11 to end the inning.

Both the Rebels and Chiefs went quietly in the fourth.

The top of the fifth saw the Rebels threaten with runners on second and third but unable to come up with the key hit to blow it open.

Mike then took the mound for the fifth and good pitching and defense rapidly dispatched the Chiefs.

After the Rebels failed to score in the top of the sixth, things got a little dicey in the bottom. After quickly grabbing the first out, some sloppy play by the Rebels combined with a few Chiefs hits — one an infield hit that shortstop Kevin 5 kept in the infield to save a run — saw the Chiefs plate three runs and put the tying run in scoring position.

Coach Sam gave Jack 8 the ball with men on second and third, two outs, and the score 5-3. After getting and staying ahead of the batter, Jack induced a ground ball to Kevin who threw over to Nick at first and put it in the books.

BBH tournament play continues tomorrow with a 10:00a game against the Suffolk Strikers at Levitt Ballfield Park in Centereach and a 12:00p game against the Longwood Lions at Baseball Heaven.