Bedford-Pound Ridge Takes Westchester Putnam Baseball Title

The Bedford-Pound Ridge Foxes didn't play their best game in the 16-and-under Westchester Putnam Baseball Association Championship game against the Sleepy Hollow Mustangs according to Foxes coach Diz Di Fiore.

However, Di Fiore was proud of the fact that his squad did what it had to do to bring home the championship. Keyed by a four-run third inning and an excellent relief effort from Julian Haddad, the Foxes won the title game 5-4 on Saturday Aug. 14 at Lakeland High School.

After allowing a first-inning run, the Foxes went to work to get the lead in the third inning. Their rally started when Matt Roos and Dean DeMattia each walked.

"We were going to have our pitcher, DeMattia, who's a strong hitter, bunt, but the count went to 3-0, 3-1 and then I let him swing away at 3-2," Di Fiore said. "He walked. That was the key, to get a walk from someone we were going to give up as an out with a bunt."

Bedford-Pound Ridge leadoff hitter Jake McGrath then loaded the bases with a single. Richard Slenker followed with a three-run double and advanced to third on the play when an error was committed.

Slenker scored himself when Jamie Hertz drove him in on a sacrifice fly to center field. That run put the Foxes up 4-1 going into the bottom of the third.

"Our top of the order has been doing it all year for us," Di Fiore said.

Sleepy Hollow though has been a come-back team all year and showed why when it retaliated with three runs in its half of the third to tie the game at 4-4. Joe Martello started the Mustangs rally when he was hit by the pitch from DeMattia and stole second.

Martello came home on an error during Ronnie Rodriguez's at bat. Rodriguez got forced out at second when Armando Cabrera hit into a fielder's choice.

Cabrera stole second before John Brabazon walked. Gio Nunez then cut the Foxes lead to one with an RBI single.

After that single, DeMattia was replaced by Haddad, who did an outstanding job in relief. He walked Inmer Rosado but struck out Ronniel Munoz which should've ended the inning. However, a passed ball on the play allowed Brabazon to score the tying run.

That was the last run that Sleepy Hollow would score. That was a good thing for the Foxes because they were only able to muster up one more run themselves but that's all they needed.

They got that run in the fourth inning when Roos reached base on a two-base error. He advanced to third on a passed ball and scored when McGrath reached base safely on an infield error.

"You have to give Sleepy Hollow credit, they came back and tied it but we came back and got one," Di Fiore said. "However, we left runners at second and third and I wanted those runs."

That one run was enough though thanks to the job Haddad did as he was charged with no runs in 4.2 innings pitched.

"The other day, Haddad came in relief in the first round against Yorktown," Di Fiore said. "He couldn't even get an out. It was his worst performance. But when we wound up winning that game and beat Shrub Oak on Thursday, I told him that he was going to get a chance on Saturday. I guaranteed him. I told him he had to be mentally prepared and he stepped up."