WEST HARRISON, N.Y. – The Yeshiva University baseball team earned a pair of victories over Valley Forge University, at Silver Lake Park, on Wednesday afternoon. YU won game one, 8-1, while winning the second game by a score of 12-5. The Maccabees have now won three games in a row.
Earning the win in game one was sophomore pitcher
Sonny Braha. He pitched a complete game, giving up just one earned run on two hits, walked two batters, and struck out eight Valley Forge hitters in seven innings pitched. He held the Patriots hitless from the second inning on.
In the opening game, the Patriots (3-19) scored a run in the top of the first to take the lead. The Maccabees (3-10) countered with two runs in the bottom frame to go up by one. Senior shortstop
Shmuli Goldis started the rally by reaching base. Senior center fielder
Mordechai Cohen drove in the Macs' second run by grounding out to second that allowed senior first baseman
Chaim Nosson Rosenberg to score.
Yeshiva continued its momentum in the bottom of the second. With runners at the corners and two outs, junior left fielder
Aryeh Salovey launched a triple left center, scoring second year catcher
Jordan Shafron and sophomore center fielder
David Hanelin, to extend YU's lead to 4-1. Salovey ended up scoring, thanks to an RBI single by Goldis, to increase Yeshiva's lead to 5-1. Rosenberg produced an RBI single to make it 6-1 in favor of the Maccabees.
Braha settled in after the first inning, as he retired 11 Valley Forge batters in a row.
The Maccabees gave Braha more run support in the home half of the fifth, as Hanelin produced an RBI single to score sophomore third baseman
Alex Malech to increase the home team's lead to 8-1.
Braha retired the Patriots in order in the seventh to clinch game one for Yeshiva.
At the plate, Goldis went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a run batted in, and stole two bases. Hanelin also went 2-for-3 with an RBI, a run scored, and a pair of stolen bases. Salovey went 2-for-4 with a stolen base, while Malech produced a single and drew a walk. Sophomore second baseman
Zachary Baly picked up two hits and stole a base. Rosenberg drew a walk and had a stolen base of his own. Braha also had a productive day at the plate by reaching base with a single.
The Maccabees were active by stealing seven bases as a team.
In game two, the Maccabees scored four runs in the second inning to take a 4-0 lead. Highlighted in that inning was Baly drawing a walk with the bases loaded and Shafron producing an RBI single.
In the bottom of the fifth, Goldis registered an RBI single to score Salovey from second. Later in the inning, with a runner on third and nobody out, Hanelin executed an infield single to score Malech to extend the Maccabees' lead to 8-2.
With Yeshiva up 10-2 in the top of the sixth, Valley Forge loaded the bases. Cody Rak cashed in by doubling to left center to score three runs, pulling the Patriots to within five runs. In the bottom frame, Hanelin ripped an RBI single to extend the Macs' lead to 12-5.
Malech took the mound in the top of the seventh, for his second inning of work, and retired the Patriots in order to clinch the sweep for the Maccabees.
For the game, Yeshiva stole six bases as a team. Rosenberg went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base. Hanelin went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two RBI, a walk, and a stolen base. Baly crossed home plate twice, drove in a run, walked twice, and stole a base. Sophomore right fielder
Shmuel Silverstein picked up an RBI and Goldis scored a run.
On the mound, Cohen started the game and picked up the win. He struck out four batters and gave up two earned runs in four innings pitched.
Yeshiva will travel to Long Island on Friday, for a Skyline Conference double-header at Farmingdale State. First pitch of game one is schedule for 10:00 a.m.
