It took three hours and plenty of sweat for the visiting Clarkstown Stars to defeat the Teaneck Under-8 All-Stars Sunday afternoon at Votee Park. It also took extra innings and a total of 35 walks and 32 strikeouts to decide this match! The final score in seven innings was Clarkstown 13, Teaneck 10.
Early in the game we got a sense that this might be a long affair when a combined 12 walks were granted by the starters in the first two innings. Even with the base on balls bonanza, the score after two innings was tied at 2-2, with Zev Weiner and Ryan Buchsbayew knocking in the runs for Teaneck in the bottom of the 1st. In the top of the 3rd, Clarkstown hitters woke up against Noam Eckman with consecutive hits that led to a five run lead, 7-2. But Teaneck wasn’t worried. They mounted a 4-run rally of their own in the bottom of the inning.
Eckman got things rolling with a base hit to center. Buchsbayew knocked in his second run on a fielder’s choice pop that stymied the Clarkstown fielder who tried to keep a Teaneck runner from scoring instead of making the sure play to first. As a result, Teaneck scored three additional runs as Ezra Berkowitz, Akiva Rotenberg, and Isaac Kantowitz each walked with the bases full. Liev Wolin started the fourth inning for Teaneck and got the first Clarkstown batter he faced on strikes. Then the lefty ace ran into a barrage of Clarkstown hits that tested Teaneck’s oft-practiced outfield cut-off drills. Clarkstown plated three runs in the inning to sprint out to a 10-6 lead. Despite loading the bases in the bottom of the 4th with one out, the Clarkstown pitcher recovered to retire Josh Rothenberg (who walked three times in the game) and Rafi Wall.
The 5th inning was scoreless with Aron Major making a rare mound appearance and striking out two in what was a solid outing for Teaneck’s leadoff batter. Wolin came in to pitch the sixth inning and it was imperative that he keep Clarkstown from extending their 10-6 lead. He did just that by striking out the side, leaving two runners stranded in scoring position. At this point Teaneck could have packed it in. The boys, obviously tired from playing in almost mid-summer heat with the unobstructed sun beating down on them, looked like so many apple-cheeked cherub. But there was no quit in them! Instead, when things looked bleakest, Teaneck rallied to tie the score.
The bottom of the 6th saw Clarkstown bring in a relief pitcher who started strong with a strikeout. The next six batters all got on: Eyal Kinderlehrer singled after Eckman walked and Ryan Buchsbayew drove in Eckman with his second RBI of the game. After Josh Rothenberg took a free pass, Rafi Wall drove Kinderlehrer home. The big blow was delivered next by Ezra Berkowitz who doubled to the outfield scoring Rothenberg and Buchsbayew and tying the score at 10 runs apiece. Unfortunately, Teaneck couldn’t push home the winning run and the game went to extra innings.
In the top of the 7th, Major, Rothenberg and Eckman in relief couldn’t keep Clarkstown off the scoreboard, and the visitors took a 13-10 lead. In the bottom of the 7th, Teaneck, though exhilarated by the comeback the inning before, went down without scoring a run, but knowing that they had tried their best on this day.
By Joe Rotenberg
