After a long layoff, the Congregation Bnai Yeshurun men’s softball championship series between the Blackouts, managed by Aharon Goldwasser, and the Wild Turkeys, managed by Allan Teller, began with a doubleheader on Sunday night. The Wild Turkeys were the favorite going into the game as the #3 seed, after winning their last nine regular season games. The Blackouts limped into the playoffs as the #8 seed, but finally put things together when the playoffs began and knocked off the Rattlers and Generator Plus to make it to this point.

The game began as a back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading runs for the first few innings. The Blackouts were finally able to break it open in the fifth, with an 11-run inning.

Up and down the lineup, each guy contributed and with timely hits. The Wild Turkeys battled back with five runs of their own in the sixth but, ultimately, were unable to make up the deficit, and the Blackouts took game one in an impressive nine-run victory.

Game two began with the Wild Turkeys looking for revenge, and they took the lead right off the bat. However, the Blackouts reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the first with a four-run inning. The Wild Turkeys responded with an eight-run inning to put the Blackouts on their heels. The Blackouts responded with a big inning of their own to take the lead, but in the top of the seventh inning, the Wild Turkeys clawed their way back and tied the game.

In the bottom of the final inning, with two outs, the Blackouts got a runner on first base with a key single. With two strikes, the next batter ripped a shot into the outfield. The player on first raced around the bases and when the outfielder overthrew the infielder at third, he was able to run home and win the game, making the Blackouts this year’s CBY B Division champions!