by Trevor Dugan
The coaches of 11u Rebels Baseball spoke to Axcess following their successful day at Vets Memorial Field@EcybTournaments pic.twitter.com/0tc1pBt59R
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 19, 2024
11u Rebels Baseball and the Smithtown Bulls Blue met for a doubleheader Saturday morning, as part of the East Coast Youth Baseball Fall league.
GAME ONE
It was a perfect morning for Autumn baseball at Vets Memorial Field in Saint James, with game one beginning at 9:00 A.M.
Luke Potucek started on the mound for the Bulls and pitched a scoreless top of the first. Mason DaRocha got the start for the Rebels, and matched Potucek with a scoreless first inning of his own.
The first run of the game came in the top of the second, when Luke Como hit an RBI groundout to give the Rebels an early 1-0 lead.
It didn’t take long for the Bulls to answer in the bottom of the second. Following a HBP and stolen base to begin the frame, Nick Gentile drove in the runner from second base with a hard hit single down the right field line, tying the game at one after two innings.
After a slow start the first time through the order, the Rebels offense came roaring to life in the third inning. Colton Vikara got the rally started with an RBI single to left. Vikara then scored on a throwing error while trying to steal third base.
One more run scored on a sac fly by Austin Torre, at which point the Bulls brought in Gentile to pitch in relief of Potucek. He struck out the final batter of the inning, but the Rebels had earned a 4-1 lead.
The Bulls got two of those runs back in the bottom of the third, both runs scoring on errant throws by the Rebels’ defense, cutting the lead to 4-3.
DaRocha helped himself in the bottom of the fourth, lacing an RBI single to left to make it 5-3 Rebels. He finished 2-3 with a run scored and one RBI in game one.
Vikara entered in the third to pitch the remainder of the game for the Rebels, and was lights out, allowing just two hits and no runs over 3.2 IP.
The Rebels won game one by a final score of 5-3.
Great pitching by the Rebels earns them a victory in game one of their doubleheader with the Smithtown Bulls Blue
FINAL: Rebels 5 – Bulls 3
Game two at 11:15 pic.twitter.com/XqMEiLfskP
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 19, 2024
GAME TWO
Game two began at 11:15 A.M. While game one was a close contest, the second game of the day was anything but.
The Rebels started AJ Millman on the mound, while Grayson Dick got the nod for the Bulls. Both starters pitched scoreless first innings to begin the game.
Millman would pitch two scoreless innings for the Rebels in game two, allowing no hits.
After a quiet first inning, the Rebels’ offense got things going in the second. Four runs scored, with one coming on an RBI single by Hunter Rick.
Rick finished game two 3-for-3 with a team high three RBI and two runs scored. By the end of the second inning the Rebels led 4-0.
Xavier David entered to pitch for the Rebels in the top of the third, and fired an exceptionally quick 1-2-3 inning, needing just six pitches to retire the side.
The Rebels’ bats went right back to work in the bottom of the third, exploding for 10 more runs.
Rick struck again with an RBI double to drive in two runs. Two more runs scored on a double by Kobe Guitian, and Austin Torre recorded two RBI in the inning in two separate at-bats.
It was 14-0 after three innings, and Jaxen Pesquira came in to pitch the final frame. He recorded three outs to earn the Rebels a mercy rule victory.
Rebels pitchers did not allow any hits over their four innings of work in game two of the doubleheader.
The victory clinched a spot in the ECYB postseason for Rebels Baseball.
Heading into the East Coast Fall Playoffs, the Rebels’ coaches are feeling good about their chances.
“These are all boys who go to the same school, we compete with the bigger travel teams and we feel good about it,” Coach Ian Millman said following the doubleheader.
“If we have quality at-bats, play the defense we’re capable of and throw strikes, we can play with anybody.”
