Eastchester Baseball Team's Impressive Win Over Tuckahoe

Games are rarely won after the first points are scored. However, yesterday's matchup between the Eastchester Eagles and the Tuckahoe Tigers was over soon after it started.

By the top of the 3^rd inning the Eagles were up 7 - 1 in a fast paced game that highlighted Eastchester's efficiency in the outfield and at bat. Outs were accumulated quickly and the majority of Eastchester's points were scored between the 1^st and 3^rd innings, after a home run with bases loaded knocked the wind and the game plan of the Tigers out of consideration.

There's always something exciting about watching rivalry games. Yankees vs. Red Sox, Giants vs. Jets, Celtics vs. Lakers. But the best rivals are usually born out of location and a team's proximity to one another spawning bragging rights in the area after wins. For Eastchester and Tuckahoe, being located less than 2 miles apart, the rivalry couldn't be more apparent. 

Upon arriving you could hear the cheers from the parking lot during warm ups as parents set the tone of the intense competition that was about to unfold. 

For the Tigers, while the game may have been over by the 4^th inning, their cheering fans were never silenced and the players reflected that until the final inning.  

In the 5^th inning, after some impressive hitting by the Eagles, the score was 10 - 1.  Tuckahoe had seemingly found their rhythm with bases loaded and Paul, who's name was repeatedly shouted from the crowd, came up to bat.  The play was a strange one as the ball popped up in the air close to the right sideline, hanging in the air for what seemed like forever, then finally falling just in bounds sending a player home for the run for Tuckahoe. 

After the play, with the score at 10 - 2 and any room for a comeback all but nonexistent, you could still hear the coach of Eastchester yell: "Are you kidding me…that ball stayed in the air so long I could have hailed and caught a cab!"  The outburst showed the spirit of a team that wasn't just winning but were also proud of their near shut out of the Tigers and wanted to keep the score as low as possible.

A questionable call by the umpire sent Tuckahoe back to the outfield right when it seemed they had found a little bit of their original game plan. 

The win was impressive as the Eagles closed the final inning against the Tigers with two strike outs and an out at first base, ending the game. 

The final score was 11 – 2, Eastchester clearly dominating and taking the win early from Tuckahoe.  An impressive win over a rival team always goes a long way.  However, Tuckahoe left a lot on the field that they can use for improvement in future games.  Despite the score it was a hard fought round for these rivals.