Rye Brook 11U Rebels make winnin’ look easy in playoff opener

Rebs drop tough second game in GHVBL end-of-season competition

July 31, 2024 at 8:29 p.m.

Ryan Sullivan attempts to make it back to second in time as two East Fishkill Patriots try to tag him out in the 11U Rye Brook Rebels’ first game in the Greater Hudson Valley Baseball League playoffs Sunday, July 27 at Ridge Street School. (Joseph DeCarlo/Westmore News)

The Rebs made it look easy which is what happens when the pitchers pitch and the hitters hit, the defense comes up with the big play and the runners run the bases like there was no stopping the steal.

The result was that the 11U Rye Brook Rebels cruised over the East Fishkill Patriots 6-1 in the first game of the Greater Hudson Valley Baseball League playoffs Sunday (7/27) at Ridge Street School.

    Pitcher Will McCarthy throws to Ryuma Matsui at first in an attempt to get an East Fishkill Patriots runner out in the 11U Rye Brook Rebels’ first game in the Greater Hudson Valley Baseball League playoffs Sunday, July 27 at Ridge Street School. The Rebels won that game 6-1.
 By Joseph DeCarlo   

McCarthy star turn

They did it behind the strong pitching of Will McCarthy who allowed just one run over five innings while striking out six with Dylan Klein coming on as the closer and striking out two of the three batters he faced.

McCarthy also helped his cause with an RBI single in the first to jump start a quick three-run outburst which was all the help he needed to throttle the Pats.

Kaden Pessin, Peter Ayala, Jake Morganelli and Arthur Brown also had base hits, Klein walked twice and the Rebs stole 10 bases.

The Rebs also got the big defensive play when they needed one with James Smith making a diving catch in the fourth inning that saved two runs.

    Kaden Pessin is about to make contact with the ball in the 11U Rebels’ Sunday, July 27 playoff game against the East Fishkill Patriots.
 By Joseph DeCarlo   

They played error-free baseball, made all the plays look easy, and when the pitchers combined to hold the Pats to just five hits, it all added up to a winning formula.

Green Wave crusher

But, alas, it wasn't that easy against the New Milford Green Wave at home Tuesday (7/30) because the Wave swamped the Rebs 12-2 and essentially took the Rebels to school as the quarterfinal game unfolded at Ridge Street School.

If things could go wrong for the Rebs, they did, and when that happens in the one-and-done playoffs, your team is done, which was the case for the Rebels.

The loss stung, but it didn't take the edge off a mostly successful 16-4 GHVBL summer season. And the Rebs are looking forward to resuming their winning ways when the GHVBL Fall season starts in September. Nobody ever said winning a GHVBL season was going to be easy. And it wasn't.

    Loclan Stein scores a run for the 11U Rebels in their July 27 playoff victory over the East Fishkill Patriots.
 By Joseph DeCarlo   

Better Fall days ahead

Hope springs eternal that the Rebels will have another shot at winning it all during the Fall season. At that time Rye Brook will field one of its strongest entries in years with two teams in the 9U age group category along with a 10U and a 12U team and teams in the Rookie and T-Ball leagues.

So even though the Rebs are down now after the playoff loss, things will be looking up for Rye Brook Rebels baseball overall come the Fall.