Sleepy Hollow ties Haverstraw Rebels

When a team has a chance to play against the first-place squad in the league, it's a great opportunity to test your strengths and weaknesses.

If Sleepy Hollow's contest against the visiting Haverstraw Rebels (5-0-1) in its 14-and-under Westchester Putnam Baseball Association contest Tuesday evening is any indication, the Legends (2-2-1) are in pretty good shape.

Sleepy Hollow played Haverstraw to a 6-6 draw. The two teams played a full seven innings but didn't get to go into extra innings because the game was called due to darkness.

"We knew coming into this game that Haverstraw was undefeated," Sleepy Hollow coach Joey Good Sr. said. "Looking at their stats, they were blowing teams out 19-1, 19-2 so to come in and actually compete with them, have a lead for some of the game it's satisfying, it really is."

Leading the Legends at the plate was Edwin Lebron who was 3 for 3 including two doubles. On the season, Lebron leads Sleepy Hollow with a .500 average.

"I just got a good look at where they were throwing it and I went with the pitch," Lebron said.

Lebron was also impressive on the mound, as just three of the six runs he allowed in a complete-game effort were earned.

After the Legends allowed two unearned runs in the top of the first inning , they came back to tie the game with two runs of their own in the bottom of the frame. A two-run single by Adam Rosenbloom drove in Luke Colley and Lebron, who each reached base with a walk and a double.

After the visitors scored the next three runs, Sleepy Hollow took the lead with four runs in the fifth inning. Joey Good Jr. started the inning when he got on by virtue of an infield error and advanced to second on a one-out single by Mike Martello.

Good Jr. scored on Nicky Arduino's base hit. Sleepy Hollow tied the game when Martello and Arduino scored on a play where Colley hit a ball that went through the first baseman's legs.

"We say it's always better to put the ball in play then to go down looking because you never know what could happen," Good Sr. said. "They are teenage boys, they are going to make a mistake. We make mistakes so we hope the other team makes mistakes. Putting the ball in play is something we stress a lot."

Colley advanced to second on wild pitch and moved to third on Lebron's single. Then on a planned play, Lebron got thrown out attempting to steal second but stayed in a rundown long enough to allow Colley to score, giving the Legends a 6-5 lead.

"I knew that since there were two outs they were going to try to get the runner at third so I tried to delay as much as possible so the runner from third base could score," Lebron said.

Haverstraw did tie the game with a run in the sixth but the Legends held the Rebels scoreless after that.

"Hopefully, this result means we can win a championship since we tied the best team in the league," Lebron said.

Lebron and his teammates continue their season 6 p.m. Thursday, July 8 at Brewster in Zimmer Park.

"We feel confident going into Brewster," Good Sr. said. "They are in the middle of the pack like us. Hopefully we will come away with a victory and get back over. 500."