North Bellmore, NY – The North Bellmore North Merrick Rebels split a double-header Sunday with the Manhasset Indians dropping the first game, 5-4, before collecting themselves and winning game two, 16-0. In the morning matchup, NBNM bats were obvious by their absense for most of the game and pitching yielded a couple of long balls. By the afternoon, though, the Rebels appeared to take the earlier loss personally and delivered a thorough drubbing.

Game one starter Nick Valeriano was effective and the defense had his back. NBNM threatened to take an early lead in the second inning with two outs when Matt Conry drove a double off the base of the left field fence. But Billy McAdam, who reached on a walk, was thrown out on a close play at the plate to end the inning. While the Rebels defense worked well — including two crisp double-play turns, 6-4-3 and 4-6-3 — Rebels reliever Kevin McCleneghan came on in the fourth but had some trouble consistently keeping the ball down in the strike zone. The Manhasset third hitter went yard with two on to give the Indians a 3-0 lead in the middle of the fourth. In the Rebels half, as they so often do, they charged back and, with a rally capped by a McAdam single, had knotted the score at 3. In the top of the fifth, after the inning was extended by an error, again it was the Indians three-hitter, with two out and one on, knocking a ball out of the park, this time to right field, and reclaiming the lead for Manhasset. Jack Delaney appeared in relief for the Rebels in the sixth and kept the score in check as the Indians carried a 5-3 lead into the bottom half. The Rebels bats, now showing signs of life, had pushed one across and Michael Proios came up with the bases loaded and two outs. Proios saw a pitch he liked and ripped a shot up the middle that, for a moment, appeared to be the walk-off, 2-RBI base hit the Rebels were looking for. But the Manhasset shortstop made a desperate reach to his left, the ball short-hopped into his glove, and he flipped the ball to second for the game-ending force-out.

Note: Thus ended the Rebels streak of 31 wins without a loss in 2010 and 2011 ‘fall ball’. Not too shabby.

After the Rebels regrouped, they left Manhasset with a message in game two. With Brian Porricelli throwing well on the mound consistently setting down the Indians, and the defense sharp — they turned another sweet 6-4-3 in this one — the Rebels offense stepped on the gas. Even outs were hit hard. With a thoroughly impressive display of hitting throughout their lineup — not the least of which was a Proios bomb that was caught only by the netting in the batting cage beyond left-center field — NBNM exacted their pound (ton?) of flesh with a game-long offensive barrage. With Proios closing it out to preserve the shut-out, the Rebels walked off the field with redemption, and swagger and momentum restored.

The Rebels are back at it next weekend with a four-game set beginning with a double-header Saturday 1:30pm at the Garden City Titans followed by a Sunday 2:00pm double-header hosting the NY Nationals at Gunther.