DRS Wilcats Sweep HAFTR Hawks 4-0 to Play in Championship Game

The DRS Wildcats swept the undefeated HAFTR Hawks 4-0 to advance in the Yeshiva League Championship game today. The DRS Wildcats started their game strong with all 4 runs scored by the  bottom of the fourth inning. From there on in, the fate of the Wildcats was in star pitcher Yitzy Schwalb’s hands. Schwalb did not disappoint, giving no walks or easy pitches to HAFTR.

Tensions were running high as the two Five Towns teams went head to head. DRS came in strong with two runs in the top of the first. Second baseman Eitan Dechter and right fielder Yitzchak Ginsberg each had a base hit, followed by a double hitter by Avrumi Blisko. Doron Youseflaleh knocked a single shortly after allowing Ginsberg to score the first run for DRS and Blisko to steal home for a 2-0 lead.

HAFTR’s fate was sealed in the second inning after pitcher Jason Schlessel gave away three consecutive walks to Yani Kadish, Dani Scheinman and Yaakov Abittan leaving the bases loaded. Eitan Dechter knocked the ball far into the outfield but a clutch catch by Hawk’s Yitz Oppen only let Kadish take one run to jump out for a 3-0 lead.

It seemed as though things were looking up for the Hawks when pitcher Schlessel had a powerful 1-2-3 inning in the top of the third, but this only held DRS back for a short period of time. The Wildcats scored again in the fourth inning, on what HAFTR would say was a questionable call. Last week’s grand slam hitter Daniel Ash knocked a triple and Dani Schienman was at the plate again. Schienman had a close call base hit with two outs. HAFTR was outraged when the umpire did not call the base hit an out. Their players could be heard yelling their disapproval with the call. The umpire, however, stuck with her call that Schienman was safe. This base hit lifted the Wildcats to a 4-0 lead as Ash ran across home plate.

HAFTR remained without any base hits for the first  three innings but got back into their rhythm by the fourth inning. Hawks Yitz Openn broke the no-hit streak in this inning by having the first base hit. Resnick had also knocked a single in the bottom of the fourth but the Wildcats defense and pitcher shut them out before they were able to score.

The Hawks had some strong offensive plays in the the fifth inning including a base hit by Austin Feit and a base hit by Adam Dahan, but Dani Schienman caught a fly ball in the outfield to shut out Hawks batter Benji Horowitz. The Hawk’s defense also picked up around the fifth inning but this effort may have come to late. Although DRS was unable to score for the rest of the game their runs in the first four innings secured their win.

DRS will be playing the Shaare Torah Stars (who defeated the Ateres Yaakov Eagles earlier today) next week in Brooklyn. Location and time is TBA. Stay tuned for scores and highlights on StandardLI.com.