Eagles Advance to Second Round of Playoffs

In a back-and-forth nail biting affair, the Dobbs Ferry baseball team defeated the Irvington Bulldogs in walk-off fashion by a score of 7-6 Friday, booking their ticket to the second round of the Class B sectional playoffs.

After taking an early 2-1 lead in the game, the Eagles found themselves trailing 5-2 in the fifth inning, as Dobbs Ferry starter senior Zachary Avalos struggled to get into a rhythm, giving up two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings.

Down three in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Eagles came to bat knowing they had to put at least a few runs on the board. Irvington pitcher Chris Brennan had only given up five hits at that point in the game, and was gaining confidence with every Dobbs Ferry batter he retired. 

Two Bulldog errors later, Dobbs Ferry junior Justin Kennedy came to the plate, and launched one of Brennan's pitches deep into centerfield, motoring around the bases for a game-tying, 3-run, inside-the-park homerun. Kennedy has not been a regular in the Dobbs Ferry starting lineup this season, and is usually assigned the role of designated hitter for the Eagles.

"I wasn't really thinking about where the ball was," Kennedy said. "I was just trying to run around the bases as fast as I could and get the win for the team."

The Eagles would take the lead in the very same inning, on another Bulldog error. Irvington committed a total of four errors in the inning. After Irvington tied the score in the top of the seventh inning, Dobbs Ferry got another huge hit, this time from senior Frank Lopez. Lopez came into the game when Kennedy had to be replaced because of severe leg cramps. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, Lopez hit the game winning single, driving in teammate Michael Fata, sending the Eagles into the second round, and earning a mobbing from his teammates.

"Of course it feels good," Lopez said. "I was just thinking I had to look for a good pitch to hit. It was a team thing, though, everyone came through. Things were just in my favor today."

Dobbs Ferry and Irvington met twice during the regular season, with the home team winning by a wide margin in both games, meaning the two teams were fairly familiar with each other heading into Friday's first-round matchup.

"I expected this," said Dobbs Ferry head coach Matt Arone. "Anytime you play a team that's in your league you're going to get games like today. They're a young team and they come with nothing to lose. That's how they played today."

Eagles' pitcher Avalos, who injured his leg only a few days before facing Irvington, finished the game with seven strikeouts, while giving up ten hits and three walks.

Irvington's Brennan also gave up ten hits, while striking out five batters and walking four. Brennan also paced the Bulldogs offensively, going 3-for-3 on two singles and a double.

Seniors James Nieman and Sam Connett led Dobbs Ferry offensively, combining to earn four hits and a walk.

In the end, in a game of momentum swings and shaky pitching, Dobbs Ferry's home field advantage proved crucial, something coach Arone had a feeling would happen even before the game.

 "The key to sectionals is having the last at bat," he said. "That's why league play is so important to us. That's what proved to be the difference today."