It was a battle between two of the upper echelon 16-and-under Westchester Putnam Baseball Association squads when Shrub Oak visited the Sleepy Hollow Mustangs yesterday.
Sleepy Hollow (12-5) got off to a quick 3-0 lead but couldn't hold off Shrub Oak (13-5).
After giving up three first-inning runs, Shrub Oak retaliated with eight runs in the second and held on to a 11-9 victory Wednesday evening at Sleepy Hollow High School.
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"This is a big one because it helps get us near the top of the standings," Shrub Oak center fielder Joey Dizon said. "Sleepy Hollow is a tough team and we will probably see them in the playoffs."
Starting pitcher Desmond Foster began Sleepy Hollow's rally in the opening frame when he got on by an error. Foster advanced to third when John Brabazon roped a single to left field.
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Brabazon followed with a steal of second base.
Gio Nunez knocked in both of his teammates on base on the next play with a single. Inmer Rosado advanced Nunez to third with a base hit with Joe Martello knocking in Nunez on a ground out to second.
"We got a little help too," Sleepy Hollow coach Mike King said. "Their shortstop dropped a pop-up and that helped us score the three runs. Then when they came up in the top of the second, it happens, we had an error and it opened up the door for them. They scored a few more than us, they scored eight. It just seemed to be a little windy tonight. It gave the outfielders a hard time."
Winning pitcher Joe Vacco helped himself when he started Shrub Oak's eight-run frame with a base hit.
Vacco advanced to second when Louis Fusco reached base on an outfield error. Then after a fly-out the flood gates opened, starting with an RBI single by Adam Rosen.
Shrub Oak would tie the game on a two-run double by John Anton. The visitors took a three-run lead on RBI singles by Mike Nash, Joey Dizon and Matt Wright.
"Going into the game, we were going against Desmond and we were real hesitant," Dizon said. "But after that we weren't so scared of him. We got confident after we started hitting him. We were all just trying to put the bat on the ball, going up aggressive and getting them through the hole."
Shrub Oak extended its lead to 8-3 on a two-run outfield error. Foster, the Mustangs' starting pitcher, went to third to flip-flop positions with Nunez after the second inning.
However, Foster didn't pitch as bad as it seemed given that six of the eight runs he gave up were unearned.
Nunez cut Shrub Oak's lead to 8-4 when he scored on an error in the third inning. However Shrub Oak answered with two runs in the fourth on a two-run single by Dizon.
"During the at-bat, I just wanted to get it in play because we had bases loaded and no out," Dizon said. "I hit one to left and luckily it got over the left-fielder's head."
Foster and Brabazon had back to back RBI doubles in Sleepy Hollow's half of the fourth to get within four, 10-6.
Sleepy Hollow made the game close at the end by scoring three of the game's final four runs, even bringing the tying run to bat in the final inning.
"We were never out of it as we showed tonight," King said. "We have a great hitting team. We came back and were right back in it. At least I know our kids stayed in the game like they usually do."
