Massapequa Park, NY – If you had the Rebels, giving a touchdown and a field goal, you won! For the second time in as many games, the North Bellmore North Merrick LL 11U boys run-ruled an opponent in the 2011 Williamsport District 31 tournament and, for the second time in as many years, they will appear in the championship game.

NBNM beat the Massapequa International Braves at Brady Park yesterday, 17-7, and advanced to the district final. The football-like score was the result of offensive attacks and counter-attacks that more resembled heavyweight boxing.

The early going featured flurries of blow-for-blow exchanges. After Massapequa took an early 2-0 lead into the middle of the first inning, NBNM countered with three to go ahead 3-2. The Braves plated two more in the top of the second and the Rebels got two right back and a 5-4 lead after two. International came back swinging with three runs in the third to retake a 7-5 lead. Then the Rebels answered the bell in their half, batted around, and put up a six-spot pulling ahead at the would-be half-way point in the game, 11-7.

But the second half of the contest found the Braves unable to withstand this toe-to-toe battle of offenses. After Massapequa finally went scoreless against Rebels reliever Kevin McCleneghan in the top of the fourth, NBNM responded like a champion fighter who senses his opponent is reeling. The Rebels again ripped through their batting order, letting fly hits like cleanly-landed combinations, scoring six more runs and invoking the run rule and a 17-7 final.

While their defense probably, and uncharacteristically, left a few outs on the field, the Rebels offense was prolific against all that International had to throw at them this day. Virtually the entire lineup contributed with tough at-bats, balls in play, and hits. Extra-base hits were recorded by Jack Delaney, Alec Acri (a good bid for a dinger that rattled the fence), Brian Porricelli, Nick Valeriano, Matt Conry, Eric Solomon (the walk-off!), and Mike Proios.

The Rebels will now fine tune for a week while they wait and see who survives the losers bracket to face them in a district championship final at Burns Park, Wednesday July 13 8:00 pm.