The Raphael Jackson AA Baseball League’s defending champion Yankees got the best of the Cobras, 11-7, Sunday afternoon at D.C. Canegata ballpark to even their 2010 league play at one win apiece.
The two teams met in last year’s exciting championship series; and in their first 2010 encounter, it was the Cobras getting a bit of revenge with an opening night victory.
Batting first, the Yankees plated one run on an RBI single off the bat of Eric Perez. The Cobras were two runs better in the bottom of the inning as they notched two runs on a two-run double by Angel Torres Jr. to take an early 2-1 lead.
The Yankees retook the lead in the top of the second at 3-2, scoring two runs on a wild pitch and an RBI single by Mackeel Rodgers. The Cobras went quietly in their half of the inning.
A five-run eruption by the Yankees in the third inning gave them the lead for good at 8-2. The RBI fest included a two-run single by Rael Sackey, a two-run double by Dwayne Harvey, and an RBI single by Leroy Simmonds III. The Cobras came up with two runs in the bottom of the inning on a wild pitch and an RBI single off the bat of Michael Fleming to trail 8-4 at the end of three completed innings.
The Yankees picked up an unearned run in the top of the fourth to extend their lead to five at 9-4 after the Cobras came up empty in the bottom half.
After a scoreless fifth, the Cobras plated two runs in the bottom of the sixth after the Yankees failed to score in their top half. An RBI single by Federico Demonisi and a sac fly by Enrique Soto cut the Yankees lead to three runs at 9-6 at the end of six innings.
Due to time constraints, both teams were alerted by the umpires that the seventh inning would be the last. Although it proved unnecessary, the Yankees added two insurance runs in the top of the inning on an RBI single by Harvey and a pass ball to now lead 11-6.
Coming to bat in the bottom of the inning, all the Cobras could manage was a solo home run by Torres Jr.—and they went down 11-7 to the champs.
Orlando Benitez got the win on the hill for the Yankees, while Javier Perez got the loss. Top batters for the winners were Harvey (3 for 5 with three RBIs), Perez (2 for 3 with one RBI), and Sackey (1 for 2 with two RBIs). For the Cobras, Torres Jr. was 2 for 3 with three RBIs, and Soto was 1 for 1 with one RBI.
