YYL Junior Boys Champs: Renewal.org #KidneyKindness Braves Finish the Miracle Over www.CoolKippahs.com Astros
After a tough regular season, finishing tied for last place in the 8 team Junior Boys division, the Renewal.org Braves went into the playoffs with nothing to lose. And they lost nothing. In the span of seven days, they upset the second seed Wiss & Co. Reds, the first seeded Jasko Development Blue Jays and the CoolKippahs.com Astros in three playoff rounds to win the division. Through strong teamwork, belief in themselves and timely play throughout the entire playoffs, the Renewal.org Braves learned that anything is—an appropriate message considering their sponsor.
In the first inning the Braves loaded the bases early, but some great defensive plays by the Astros helped hold the Braves to only three runs by getting two forced outs at home. The amazing defense continued for the next couple of innings where players on both teams caught pop-ups, line drives and made the hard throws accurately across the field to first base. There were standout plays from Akiva Lewitan, Noam Landman and Yaakov Yaish in the middle of the field and Levi Yitzchak Yaish at first base. Although runs were much harder to come by than in previous playoff games, every player on the Braves got on base at least once. The team kept driving the ball through the middle of the field and eventually broke through with four more runs in the fourth inning and two more runs in the fifth inning. Although the Astros kept up the pressure by hitting well, the Braves defense held for the whole game with the last throw from one Yaish brother to the other, sealing a 9-0 championship. It turns out that Renewal.org wins hearts too.
YYL Junior Girls Champs: Sapphire Wealth Advisory Group Marlins Edge Out La Cucina di Nava Reds
The Sapphire Wealth Advisory Group Marlins faced a very formidable opponent in the La Cucina di Nava Reds in the YYL Junior Girls championship. The teams had faced each other three times before with the Reds winning one game and the Marlins winning two, so it was anyone’s game. The Marlins got off to a great start with Chani Sussman, the Marlins’ lead off hitter, hitting a home run. The game was relatively close throughout, with great plays and hits by both teams. Noteworthy plays by the Marlins included Annie Weisberg tagging a player out at home, Molly Dimond taking care of all three outs by herself in the fifth inning, Shira Miller catching a center field fly ball to end the Red’s sixth inning with bases loaded and Eliana Tkatch hitting a walk off two run home run to win the game. The Marlins took home the championship trophy with a 16-14 win. It was a great season for the YYL Junior Girls!
YYL Senior Boys Champs: Convey-U.com Cubs Shut Down Mom’s Angels
Three years ago fifth graders Gabe Cohen and Nochi Book were teammates learning how to play in YYL’s Senior Boys division. At this year’s championship Sunday, they were the senior statesmen of their teams—opposing pitchers, facing off in an instant classic. Great defense marked this matchup, with stellar plays made by both teams. The Cubs, who had home field advantage by mere percentage points, saw leather flashed by second baseman Brandon Berger (who saved two runs when he stabbed a hard liner in the second inning), Abie Chouake (who also prevented two runs from scoring when he caught an inning-ending looping drive into shallow centerfield in the fifth), shortstop Gavi Pinsky (the defensive whiz again made various putouts), Gold Glove centerfielder Yaakov Herrmann, sure-handed first baseman Zach Field, as well as talented third baseman Spencer Gottesman who made a stunning rally-thwarting long throw strike to Field in a later inning that helped preserve the shutout. In the fourth inning, with two outs and game still scoreless, Book looped a fly ball into left field that dropped in at the line for a double. The next batter, Pinsky, who was batting clean-up, promptly hit a clutch single into center field, scoring Book. Cohen shut the Cubs down from there on it, but the damage was done. Though the Angels threatened with runners at the corners in the last inning, the Cubs forced a groundout to end the game, giving the Convey-U.com Cubs a 1-0 championship over a very worthy Angel’s team.
YYL Senior Girls Champs: Sharsheret Phillies Over the Valley Brook Veterinary Tigers
The first seeded Sharsheret Phillies hosted the third seed Valley Brook Veterinary Hospital Tigers in the 2021 YYL Senior Girls championship game. The Phillies top of the lineup of Avital Kapustin, Talia Daar and Shira Aschkenasy helped the Phillies strike first, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning behind a bases-loaded walk to Nava Chetrit and a two-run double from Tali Zelkowitz. After scoring another run in the second, on heads-up base-running from Shifra Teigman, the Phillies flashed some great defense in the third and got out out of a jam, as pitcher Atara Gamss snagged a hard line drive back to the mound and tossed to 1B for an inning-ending double play. The Phillies scored another four runs in the third, behind RBI singles by Tali Zelkowitz and Mimi Markowitz and bases-loaded walks to Aliza Pfeiffer and Aliza Simon. Great defense by Eliana Adler, Avigayil Markowitz, Aschkenasy and Kapustin helped keep the Tigers off the scoreboard through the first three innings, but the Tigers finally got through with four runs in the top of the fourth to cut the Phillies lead to 9-4. The Phillies struck back with three runs in the fifth behind a two-run triple from Gamss. The Tigers scored two more runs in the sixth, but Gamss ended the game by getting the last Tigers hitter to pop up back to her on the mound and preserve a 12-6 victory. The victory capped a perfect season for the Phillies.
