Sleepy Hollow's 14-and-under Westchester Putnam Baseball Association squad has done a good job this summer in taking advantage of the opposition's mistakes.
Its game against North Salem Tuesday evening at Sleepy Hollow High School was just another example of that.
Isiah Sanjuan put pressure on North Salem's defense in the second inning which caused an error leading to the game's first run. That, combined with a complete-game effort and eight strikeouts by Cole Chang, propelled the Legends (5-4-1) to a 7-2 victory against North Salem.
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"I really hadn't pitched in a game all summer until today so I was well rested," Chang said.
For Sleepy Hollow, it was a great bounce-back victory after losing at Armonk two days earlier, 3-1.
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"It was definitely our biggest win of the year," Sleepy Hollow coach Joey Good said. "It seems like we started the season playing to the level of the teams that we are playing. We're not beating bad teams, playing well against the good teams and the middle team is where we get our victories on. This team's 9-1 and to beat them is a big step."
Sanjuan got the Legends on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning by using his legs. Sanjuan reached base by legging out an infield single to third base.
Sanjuan put himself into scoring position by stealing second base. However he wasn't content with that and on the next pitch stole third.
On the play where he stole third, the North Salem catcher overthrew third trying to throw Sanjuan out. A hustling Sanjuan then continued on home to score the game's first run.
"I am a coach that tries to make something out of nothing," Good said. "I know how frustrating it is to be on the other side of that to know that your team really didn't do anything wrong but they still gave up a run. So it's very rewarding to get a run like that. Once we stole that unearned run, these kids started hitting and started just doing everything better."
Sleepy Hollow preserved the lead with great defense in the top of the third. With one out, North Salem hit a shot that was caught by Legends' second baseman Mike Martello.
Martello not only made a great play catching the ball, he then had the presence of mind to throw to first to double off the runner.
"That was a huge play," Chang said. "I was in a little bit of a jam and that got me out of it."
Sleepy Hollow then broke open the game with five runs in the bottom of the fourth. Nick Gasparre led off for the Legends when he got on off an error.
Gasparre advanced to second on Edwin Lebron's single to left field before scoring on a base hit, also to left, by Adam Tracey. On the play, Lebron advanced to third and Tracey second on an outfield error.
Martello then showed he could hit in addition to fielding when his infield single scored Lebron and moved Tracey to third. Sanjuan then singled to left that scored Tracey and advanced Martello to third.
Chang helped himself when he followed with a two-run double to left. His double brought home Martello and Sanjuan, giving the Legends a 6-0 lead they would not relinquish.
"It was pretty big to get that hit," Chang said. "I just tried to concentrate on making contact. We needed a hit at that time."
