(YYL) In a matchup featuring the top two senior boys seeded teams, the Embrace Family Orthodontics A’s hosted the CoolKippahs.com Astros in an evening championship. The Astros went to work early with back-to-back walks by Max “Raised” Bar-David and Yaakov Herrmann. After cleanup hitter Amitai “Breaker” Kessler singled to load the bases, Asaf “Smooth” Glaser delivered a clutch two-run single. Star defensive player Akiva “The Vacuum” Lewitan followed shortly after with a two-run double to give the Astros a 4-0 lead.
The shutout did not last very long. After strong defensive plays by third baseman Shai “Fierce” Kessler and shortstop Aharon “Darling” Isenberg to produce two quick outs in the bottom of the first, the A’s singled and then posted an RBI triple by cleanup hitter Shuey “Breaks” Glass, who shortly scored on another hit. With an opening frame of 4-2 Astros, the game looked to be a high scoring one.
The rest of the game, however, was a pitcher’s duel between star pitchers Yaakov “The Assassin” Herrmann of the Astro’s and Elnatan “Diablo” Mayefsky of the A’s with standout defense. Both teams left baserunners in a scoreless second inning and the A’s cut the lead to in the third to 4-3, with a sacrifice fly by Glass, which might have been an extra base hit if not for a great catch by Lewitan, who had been switched to the outfield for defensive purposes. Mayefsky pitched the A’s out of jam in the fourth inning after CoolKippahs.com loaded the bases on a Lewitan single and walks from Netanel Bayewitz and DJ “Spin” Freeman.
Scoring was halted until the fifth inning, when Yeshai “The Rookie” Rotblat was able to bring Herrmann home with a grounder, extending the lead to 5-3. After pitching around trouble in the fifth and sixth inning, the A’s came to bat in the bottom of the last. A surprise bunt single by veteran speedster Yakir “Wheels” Mayefsky single broke the streak of nine consecutive outs, and then Jordan “Hipster” Pomarlen blasted a long triple, putting the tying run “90 feet away.” After both teams huddled to talk it through and defensive adjustments were made, Zachary “Zman” Polonetsky hit blasted a screaming line drive near the hold between first and second base, but CoolKippahs.com second baseman Bar-David was there to snag it and secure the upset win for CoolKippahs.com. It was a great game befitting a really fun and competitive YYL season.
