News and Announcements

Rebels Rout in District Opener

Posted by Mike Conry at Jun 28, 2012 12:21PM PDT ( 0 Comments )
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Massapequa, NY – The North Bellmore North Merrick Little League Rebels entered onto the road to Williamsport last night at a high rate of speed when they defeated Bellmore Little League 13-0 by run-rule after just 3-and-a-half innings. The decisive victory featured effective pitching, sufficient defense, and offense that gathered momentum as the game proceeded.

After Bellmore went down without scoring in the top of the first, NBNM plated two in their frame by way of a fielder’s choice by Billy McAdam, a single by Brian Porricelli and a three-base hit by Matt Conry. After Rebels pitchers Kevin McCleneghan and Jack Delaney combined to put Bellmore down quietly in the second, McCleneghan helped himself with a lead-off double and moved to third on a ground out by Matt Coster. McCleneghan scored on a drive to right field by Eric Solomon but Solomon was cut down at second base trying to stretch it after some indecisive baserunning. A double in the left-center field gap by Delaney, a deep drive off the right-center field fence for a double by McAdam, a walk to Acri, a double down the right field line by Porricelli, and wild pitch led to four more Rebel runs and a 7-0 lead after two.

Delaney kept Bellmore quiet in the third starting with a strikeout of their lead-off man. After the next hitter reached on an error, Delaney induced a ground ball to shortstop where McCleneghan rolled up a 6-6-3 double-play. NBNM got things going in the third with a well-struck single lined to left by Matt Coster. With special pinch runner Solomon on first, Matt Nilsen hit a tapper toward third for an infield hit that was thrown away by Bellmore allowing Solomon to score and Nilsen to reach third. After Nilsen scored on a wild pitch, McAdam singled up the middle. That was when the crowd at Burns Park were treated to an impressive display of offensive power. Acri took the first pitch he saw over the scoreboard in center field for a two RBI dinger. Next, Porricelli, also first-pitch swinging, launched one well beyond the right field wall. After Bellmore went to their bullpen, Conry stepped in, offered at the first pitch and dropped a bomb to left to complete a tear of back-to-back-to-back home runs and give the Rebels a 13-0 lead. (Nick Valeriano followed with a blast that smacked off the wall in left-center field missing a fourth consecutive Rebels home run by five feet). Delaney came out and tossed a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fourth to end it.

Boxscore and game details

While Bellmore presented a decidedly weak opponent, NBNM nonetheless set the tone with a solid showing and established a momentum they hope to ride through the tournament.

The Rebels return to Burns Park tomorrow night, Friday June 29 at 8:00pm, to face District tournament host Massapequa Coast.

Fortune Favors the Prepared

Posted by Mike Conry at Jun 4, 2012 7:43AM PDT ( 0 Comments )
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Practice HARD.
Play HARD.
Win EASY.

Rebels Runner-up at Diamond Nation

Posted by Mike Conry at May 29, 2012 11:57AM PDT ( 0 Comments )
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Flemington, NJ – This past weekend the NBNM Rebels competed in the Diamond Nation Memorial Day Blast. The 12U division of the tournament featured 32 contestants from throughout the the northeast US including Little League teams as well as prominent, elite travel baseball programs. The Rebels performed admirably achieving the #1 seed after pool play and ultimately finishing 2nd in the tournament.

Play for the Rebels began Saturday afternoon against the Nighthawks, a Little League all-star team from Buffalo, NY. Against this decidedly weaker opponent, the Rebels were workman-like in a 12-0 win by run-rule after 4 innings.

The Rebels returned to the beautiful Diamond Nation complex for two games on Sunday starting with the Diamondjacks Super 11U who are a tournament team based out of the host site in Flemington, NJ. Again, the Rebels were steady, if not overwhelming, in dispatching the local team 9-3.

NBNM moved on to face the BK Brawlers out of Walnutport, PA. The Brawlers, sporting sleeve patches from sponsor Burger King, couldn’t come up with a special order to slow the Rebels offense in this one as NBNM cruised to a 12-1 run-rule victory after 5 innings.

With pool play completed on Sunday night, by virtue of their 3-0 record and 33 runs-for with 4 runs-against, North Bellmore North Merrick secured the 1-seed for Monday’s play-off round.

With the temperature reaching past 90 degrees by game time, the Rebels began Monday with a quarter-final play-off against the Hunterdon Hurricanes from Hunterdon, NJ. In a game that featured very little in the way of offense, the teams completed the regulation 6 innings in a 2-2 tie. That put in effect the special tournament rule where extra innings are pre-set with the bases loaded and one out. After the Hurricanes failed to score in the top of the seventh, NBNM pushed the winning run across on a passed ball in the bottom half to put the Rebels into the semi-finals.

NBNM next lined up against the Northeast Titans. The name was befitting this team based out of Stroudsburg, PA — the players were as large as any seen in the tournament. But the Rebels battled and made the most of their chances by exploiting Titan errors, playing solid defense and riding the back of outstanding pitching to a 6-0 win and a trip to the tournament final.

The championship game matched the Rebels with the Tri-State Arsenal, a team of top players from NJ, PA and DE that is headquartered in Vorhees, NJ. The Rebels did well to keep this game close by taking advantage of opportunities on offense and playing pretty good defense but trailed throughout the contest. NBNM chased deficits of 2-0, 3-0, 3-1, 5-1, 5-2, 6-2 and 6-3 eventually succumbing to a 7-3 defeat and 2nd place in the tournament.

Diamond Nation Memorial Day Blast Results

All in all the Rebels reconfirmed that they can compete with the best. Considering that no aspect of their game this weekend was as good as it can and should be – especially hitting – one has to continue to like the upside of the team from North Bellmore North Merrick Little League.

The Rebels will now be devoting their time and attention to preparations for 2012 Little League World Series Williamsport Tournament.

Almost Perfect

Posted by Mike Conry at May 22, 2012 8:04AM PDT ( 0 Comments )
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North Bellmore, NY – The North Bellmore North Merrick Rebels lost the final game of their Spring season Sunday when they split a double-header with the LI Braves, 6-1 and 7-5. Having already clinched the NJBL Spring American league title, the Rebels finished with a very respectable 12-1 record.

The Rebels took an early lead in game one when Jack Delaney’s lead-off single – his first of three hits in this game – and control problems from the Braves pitcher led to Delaney taking home on a wild pitch. After NBNM starting pitcher Kevin McCleneghan struck out the side, the Rebels offense went to work in inning two. Valeriano got things started with a lead-off single up the middle. After Matt Nilsen drew a walk, Delaney bunted for a single, Alec Acri homered to left, and the Rebels were quickly out front 5-0. A lead-off home run by the Braves in the bottom of the second got them on the board. Both teams went scoreless in the third and fourth innings. NBNM tacked one on in the fifth when Billy McAdam burned the Braves right fielder for a double and later scored on a single up the middle by Eric Solomon.

Game two charged out of the gate. The Braves managed a couple of baserunners with a lead-off single and an error by Matt Conry. But Conry quickly condoned for his sin when he turned in a 5-star defensive gem on the next play. On a ball smoked into the hole he laid out to grab the one-hopper, got the out at first, hustled to cover third base, picked a short-hop throw back from first, and tagged out the baserunner who attempted to advance from second base on the throw to complete a 5-3-5 double play. The next batter, the Braves Erickson, though, delivered his second home run of the day and the Rebels were chasing 2-0. An infield hit by Conry in the bottom half led to his scoring on a sac fly by McAdam to cut the Braves’ lead to 2-1. The teams traded zeros in the second. Three hits in the Braves’ third drove in two but the Rebels countered in the bottom half with a bases-loaded double to left-center by Acri for three RBIs and a 4-4 tie at the end of three. Both teams squandered lead-off hits in the fourth inning. The Braves applied the pressure in the fifth when they converted two walks and three hits into three runs. But the Rebels would still have their shot. After Conry homered to center with one out in the fifth to pull within two, Acri walked to bring Brian Porricelli to the plate as the potential tying run. Porricelli hit a ball about as hard as one can but the Braves first basemen took it off the turf for the second out and that was as close as the Rebels would get in this one.

Game one boxscore and details
Game two boxscore and details

This Spring season, in addition to the .923 winning percentage, the Rebels outscored their opponents 105 to 27 averaging 8 runs per game while yielding 2 runs against. The team BA was .387 with an OPS of .988. Team pitching turned in an ERA of 1.56 with 85 SO over 73 IP and a WHIP of 1.18. Defensively, the team FPCT was .970; they commited 9 errors in 298 chances and turned 15 DPs.

The Rebels cross over into the unofficial start of Summer with a holiday weekend trip to Flemington, New Jersey to participate in the 2012 Memorial Day Blast at Diamond Nation.

Rebels Blow Through Hurricanes

Posted by Mike Conry at May 14, 2012 1:31PM PDT ( 0 Comments )
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North Bellmore, NY – On a warm and sunny Mothers Day afternoon the NBNM Rebels made their mom’s proud when they won both ends of a double-header yesterday at Gunther Field, 6-1 and 11-4 over the Hicksville Hurricanes.

The Rebels jumped out early in game one. After starting pitcher Michael Proios set the Hurricanes down quietly in the top of the first inning the Rebels went to work in their half. Jack Delaney doubled into right field, Matt Conry drew a walk, Alec Acri hit a sac fly and Brian Porricelli homered to right for a 3-0 lead. A lead-off double by Billy McAdam set up an RBI bunt single by Matt Nilsen to move to 4-0. A lead-off double scorched to left by Porricelli in the fourth, followed by a single up the middle from McAdam, extended the lead to 5-0. Hicksville got on the board in the top of the fifth inning when their cleanup hitter went yard but, not to be outdone, NBNM kept pace when Proios dropped a bomb of his own in the bottom half. Relief pitcher Acri kept things quiet from that point to close it out.

NBNM’s bats made some noise in game two when, in the top of the first, a double by Acri, a single by Porricelli, and a single by Nick Valeriano put the Rebels ahead 2-0. The ‘Canes cut that in half when their 2-hitter put one over the center field fence. The Rebels got that back in the second when a lead-off single by McAdam and some fielding gaffes by Hicksville allowed McAdam to score. After NBNM starting pitcher Kevin McCleneghan kept the Hurricanes off the board in the bottom of the second, the Rebels offense, from the top of the order, went to work in inning three. Consecutive base hits from Delaney, Conry and Acri were followed by a 3-run rainmaker from Porricelli that, 1) put the Rebels up 7-1 and, 2) sailed over the scoreboard and blew out the rear glass in Mrs. Valeriano’s car! ‘Canes and Rebels then exchanged zeros into the bottom of the fourth when three singles and some sloppy defense led to three Hicksville runs, 7-4. But the Rebels didn’t let the Hurricanes feel good about themselves for long. In the NBNM fifth, McCleneghan was hit by a pitch, Delaney reached on an error, and Conry smacked a line drive over the center field fence to quickly get those three runs back and push their lead out to 10-4. Porricelli then proceeded to launch a scud missile to center that the fielder was more interested in getting out of the way of than catching. He then stole second and third and scored on a sac fly from Valeriano. Delaney, pitching in relief, sat the ’Canes down 1-2-3 in the fifth and sixth innings.

Game one boxscore and details
Game two boxscore and details

The wins clinch another NJBL title for the Rebels and extend their league record to a perfect 11-0.

They will wrap up Spring play with a final double-header next Sunday 9:00AM at Gunther Field against the LI Braves.