Baseball: Sleepy Ties Haverstraw Again

The Sleepy Hollow Legends 14-and-under Westchester Putnam Baseball Association squad was looking to end its season with a winning record when it hosted the Haverstraw Rebels Thursday evening at Sleepy Hollow High School and tied them 5-5.

Because ties at the end of the season count as losses, that left the Legends with a final record of 9-9. Ironically the game was makeup of a July 6 contest that ended in a 6-6 tie.

"To come into this game and know that we were already out of the playoffs and for everyone to show up for this game and give the effort that they did, it says a lot about these young boys from Sleepy Hollow," Sleepy Hollow coach Joey Good said. "They are all fine gentlemen. A lot of kids might not come to play in that situation or might not come at all. They came and finished the season. That is saying something about our town and our young men."

After allowing three first-inning runs, Sleepy Hollow came back in its half of the inning with a score when Edwin Lebron singled to drive in Nick Arduino, who doubled.

Haverstraw added a run in the second but the Legends got that run back in the bottom of the inning when Jack Corcoran tripled home Mike Martello, who reached base on a walk.

The Rockland County squad scored another single run in the top of the third to go up 5-2. The Rebels could've scored even more but Arduino, who started the game at shortstop, came in to relieve starting pitcher Adam Tracey.

Arduino induced a double play to end the inning and pitched the rest of the game, shutting out the Rebels.

"Nick, we hadn't pitched him a lot this year, he did have a foot injury," Good said. "He has turned to be the No. 1 pitcher in the league as far as ERA and throwing strikes. I can't say enough about him on how well he does when he is out on that mound."

Sleepy got to within two when Lebron doubled in Arduino, who singled, in the third. Dominic Onwe then tied the game in the fourth when he connected on a two-run double that brought home Luke Colley, who singled and Corcoran, who reached base on an error.

"It was a huge hit for Dominic to come off the bench and pinch hit," Good said. "I called a time out and talked to him. I told him that I knew that he was going to get it done, not too put too much pressure on himself. He stepped up there and got it done like I knew he would."

Then in the fifth inning, with Lebron on first base and Tracey at the plate, Good, who was coaching third base, thought an obstruction call should've been made but never was. Good eventually got thrown out of the game for arguing his point.

"When there is a runner on base and the pitcher steps on the mound without the ball and the first baseman has the ball, that's called deception," Good said. "Once the pitcher steps on the mound then it's called obstruction. The obstruction rule each runner gets a base, it's like a balk."

Good further elaborated on what bothered him.

"He didn't acknowledge me and that's what got me so upset," Good said. "He just could've told me he wasn't going to make the call but to tell me just to go back to third base, he didn't know the rule, he wouldn't acknowledge the rule so I let it get out of hand. That was the first game I have been thrown out in six years. I am better than that but it happens once in awhile."