SRLL Animals remain top dogs

The South Riverdale Little League Animals, the league’s 12-years-old and under travel team, continued its winning ways in the Westchester Baseball Association (WBA) fall season by winning both games of a double header with Eastchester on Saturday.

With the double dip win, the Animals hold onto first place in the league, with a perfect 9-0 record.

 In the first game, Zack Farber’s 2-run home run and Brian Alberts’ 2-run double in the first inning got the Animals off to a fast start. In the next inning, the Animals scored another 3 runs, led by Kenneth Rodriguez’s 2-run single. 

 While the Animals offense was kicking into high gear, the team’s pitching was equally effective. Hurlers Farber and Griffin O’Keefe pitched scoreless ball, striking out 7 batters combined.  

Good defense also played an important part in the win, as catcher Jared Gonzalez threw out a runner trying to steal a base after one of the strikeouts for an inning ending double play. The Animals added 2 more runs on the way to a convincing 10-0 victory.

 The second game was very different from the first. The Animals were down 1-0, and in the second inning Eastchester was threatening to blow the game open with 2 runners on base with only 1 out.  

A sharp ground ball hit between first and second base was snagged by Animals first baseman Jonathan Katzman who tagged one of the runners and then hustled over to first base to complete an unassisted double play. 

 The Animals notched their first run in the fourth inning on an Ike Fields single.  Then, in the fifth inning, the Animals scored 5 runs with the big blow coming on William Rybka’s home run. Strong relief pitching from Jordan Tallerman and good defense from outfielder Danny Moynihan helped the Animals secure a 6-1 win. 

 The Animals will play 2 more dates at Kappock Field this fall, on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 1:30 p.m. against Dobbs Ferry and Saturday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. against Throgs Neck.