Greeley Beats Fox Lane 7-5 in Baseball

Vince Lombardi used to describe football as a "game of inches." On a murky Monday evening in Chappaqua, there was a game of inches, but on the baseball diamond, and the result was a 7-5 victory for the Horace Greeley Quakers over the Fox Lane Foxes.

In the top of the 7th inning, Fox Lane's Jake McGrath sent a high fly ball deep towards right field off of Greeley pitcher Nick Leiningen. Right fielder Richie Giner straddled the line, making the catch and recording the out. This caused for a lot of confusion and displeasure in Fox Lane's dugout.

After a short discussion, the umpires confirmed their ruling on the field and called the batter out. The rule is that the outfielder is allowed to straddle the line and not go completely behind it. Leiningen recorded the final out, preserving the victory for the Quakers over the Foxes, 7-5.

"Giner did the right thing," Horace Greeley Coach Anthony Marino said. "He stayed right on that line and was very aware of where he was on the field and made the key play." This win pushes the Quakers to 14-3-1 overall and 2-1 in league play.

Leiningen, who pitched a complete game, also was 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run and two runs scored. Giner, along with first baseman John Salamone and Jesse Zweibon, contributed offensively with five runs scored between them.

For the Foxes, McGrath had homered earlier in the game and had two hits of his own. In addition, John Albanese homered later in the game to keep the Foxes within striking distance. Starting pitcher Chad Stroud looked impressive, striking out six Quaker hitters, but struggled in the second inning, which allowed the Quakers to get off to an early start.

For Leiningen, it was his third victory of the season, along with his second complete game. Marino was pleased with his starter's effort.

"He pitched very well today, he has been getting better as the season has gone on, and held up against a good team in Fox Lane," he said.

This win will help the Quakers' state ranking of 66 and gives them momentum as the seasons end draws closer. They go into the playoffs with four quality starting pitchers and a confidence that can be seen on the field during games. The Quakers get Fox Lane again next week and will be looking for their first sectional championship in school history.