Massapequa, NY – How do you beat great pitching, smart, solid defense and timely hitting? As Massapequa Coast can tell you: you don’t. The North Bellmore North Merrick Rebels featured all those things and more on a night they dominated play and set the tone as the team to beat in the Williamsport District 31 play-offs. The Rebels walked off with a convincing 6-2 victory and some well-earned swagger.

Rebels starter Nick Valeriano was outstanding and, assisted by a great defensive play by Jack Delaney going deep into the hole at short, immediately put Coast hitters on their heels sitting them down in order in the first.

The Rebels then jumped out to an early 1-0 lead when Delaney, who reached on a error, made his way to third and took home on a wild pitch.

Nick returned to the hill and, again, had Coast batters shaking their heads after another 1-2-3 inning in the second.

Though Coast’s offense was unable to threaten, the weather did and so began a deluge that led to a 50-minute rain delay that threatened to steal the Rebels’ momentum. It did not dampen the high spirits of the Rebels players, however, who stood in their dugout while singing and laughing to innumerable choruses of "Mr. Golden Sun" (of ‘Barney and Friends’ fame). It apparently worked as the clouds slowly parted and the shining sun appeared in the western sky. A truly impressive effort by the Burns Park grounds crew and friends somehow returned the field to very playable condition and the game resumed in the bottom of the second.

The Rebels confirmed they hadn’t lost a beat when they loaded the bases and Alec Acri pulled a clutch, 3-RBI double to left to put NBNM ahead 4-0.

Coast threatened in the third when 2 men reached base but the Rebels defense held.

The Rebels kept the pressure on in their half of the third when Tyler McPartland singled, took second on a wild pitch, and was driven in by Eric Solomon who doubled into the gap in left-center. Jack Delaney followed with a well-struck triple to left plating Solomon, and the Rebels stretched their lead to 6-0.

After both teams went quietly in the fourth inning, Coast came up in the fifth with their work cut out for them. With Valeriano nearing his pitch-count limit, the first two Coast batters reached on a walk and their first (and only) hit of the night. Having completed his great performance, Nick handed the ball off to Kevin McCleneghan. K-Mac grazed the first batter he faced and Coast had the bags juiced and nobody out. The Rebels smartly stayed relaxed, simply playing for outs with a big lead. McCleneghan induced two ground balls that went 4-to-6 and 5-to-3 and got a big strike out to end the inning with a 6-2 lead.

The Rebels put men on base but failed to score in the bottom half of the fifth.

K-Mac proceeded to work a 1-2-3 sixth inning culminating with two nasty knuckle-drops to strike out the final batter, combined with Nick for the one-hitter, and the Rebels advanced to round two of the winners bracket.

The Rebels Williamsport bid continues Thursday July 1, 5:30pm at Burns Park when they face the winner of tonight’s Massapequa International/Wantagh contest.