The 11/12U TBO Championship game featured a matchup of the top two teams in the division as Camp Lavi faced off against Knoll Orthodontics.
Despite Knoll Orthodontics’ rocky start, beginning the spring with a 1-3 record, the team had a great season. With two of their players, Eli Staum and Dovid Reichman, on the DL, Knoll was down to just 9; every player’s attendance and performance became that much more instrumental in putting together a strong second half. Regular weekly practices helped the players settle into their respective positions as the team improved to a 7-4 record and a second place regular season division finish. Highlights of the season included great catches in the outfield by Gabe Greenfield, Didi Forman, Ari Spivack, Dovid Reichman and Eli Staum. The infield featured the superb defenses of first baseman Eitan Green, and Josh Knoll at second base. At catcher, Gavi Brotsky kept batters honest with his strong arm and amazing quickness to the ball.
The teams facing off in the championship were separated by mere percentage points in the standings. In Camp Lavi’s lone playoff game (their first place finish had earned them a bye), their quality at-bats and heads-up base running—including four steals of home, two of which were back-to-back steals by the Warburg brothers, Akiva and Yosef—were enough for a 9-2 victory over the feisty InjuryLawyer.com team. Solid contributions by Itamar Katz and Ezra Barishansky also contributed to the win.
During the season, Knoll’s three pitchers, Netanel Eckman, Yehuda Teitelman and Joey Zelig, pulled off two no-hitters. This unprecedented feat was a testament to the focus and determination of Knoll Orthodontics’ pitchers and defense. The team’s second no-hitter, a playoff semi-final victory, was highlighted by an Eckman inside-the-park homerun.
The stage was now set for a classic championship game on Sunday morning, June 19.
Joey Zelig, who had homered a record high six times this season for Knoll, led off the game with a walk. Although starting pitcher Akiva Boyarsky was able to strike out the next batter, Gavi Brotsky then walked, followed by an RBI infield single to short by Yehuda Teitelman, putting Knoll on the scoreboard. After getting the next batter to hit into a fielder’s choice, Boyarsky ended the threat with a strike out.
Stephan Nayowitz, catcher extraordinaire, led off the bottom of the first for Camp Lavi with a sharply hit single. Boyarsky then turned on the first pitch he saw, depositing it over the right field fence for his first career TBO home run. That at-bat was followed by singles from short stop/closer Abie Schwartz and infielder Jonah Cohen. Productive at-bats by center fielder/short stop Moshe Keiser and infielder Jordy Sheinfeld helped Camp Lavi end the inning with a 3-1 lead.
Camp Lavi’s outfielder Rami Kirsch had a one-out hard hit single to right field in the bottom of the second inning but was stranded on base as Teitelman struck out three of the next four batters he faced.
The game remained at 3-1 until the top of the third inning when Knoll Orthodontics scored another run after Brotsky walked, stole second, and reached home on an overthrow. Despite two-plus great innings of pitching from Eckman keeping it close, and a few good hits (including a hard line-drive to right field by Didi Forman), Knoll Orthodontics was held to 2 runs by Lavi’s defense and reliever Abie Schwartz throwing heat on the mound. The final score at the end of six innings was 3-2 with Lavi victorious.
Knoll Orthodontics was managed by Ari Eckman, who brought all three of his TBO teams to the championship game this spring. Assisting Eckman in this 11/12 division were coaches Josh Zelig, Seth Greenfield and Howie Teitelman.
The coaches for Camp Lavi’s championship team were Ethan Keiser, Yudy Sheinfeld, Abie Cohen and Stu Boyarsky (with emergency substitute coaching by Chaim Schwartz and Rafi Warburg).
Thank you to all the parents, siblings, and fans who made this another fun TBO season.
