Israel Baseball Scores

Veteran hurler George Chityat was named MVP of Israel's own Fall Classic, hurling seven strong innings to lead the Tel Aviv Reds over the Ra'anana Wildfire, 15-5, in the final game of the best of three playoff series, marking an exciting conclusion of a 13-game fall season. For Chityat, who scattered three hits while striking out five and allowing only one earned run, it was his second win of the series.
Ra'anana had turned the tables in game two, and the tension was palpable throughout the winner-take-all final matchup. As a result, the defense of both teams was shaky at times. Tel Aviv jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, on the strength of Jason Hillman's rope of a two-run double to dead center field, on the heels of his RBI single in the first inning. But Ra'anana tied the game in the bottom of the third, as Tel Aviv's infield defense was rattled, as it had been in game two, by Ra'anana's "little ball strategy". Brandon Friedman's RBI double provided the inning's big blow. The score remained even until the top of the sixth, when Ra'anana's shortstop couldn't handle Ofir Katz's slow grounder, and its right fielder failed to hold onto Hillman's deep drive. Dan Rothem and Omri Modiano then delivered RBI groundouts, and Tel Aviv now had a three run lead. Ra'anana tried to climb back, but could only score one additional run, as center-fielder Omri Modiano flashed some leather for the second time in the series, spearing Ronen Kornberg's line single in the right-center field gap and then wheeling and throwing out a Ra'anana runner seeking to advance to third. Hillman came on in the closer role, striking out three in two runless innings. The Tel Aviv offense capped its successful season by exploding for seven runs in the top of the ninth to seal the championship. Fittingly, Chityat delivered the coup de grace, a three-run double high off the screen on the left-field line.

With its back to the wall, the Ra'anana Wildfire rolled over the Tel Aviv Reds, 11-3, evening the Senior Fall Baseball final playoff series at one game apiece and forcing a third and deciding contest. The Reds had strode confidently into the game, having battered Ra'anana pitching for 13 hits and 13 runs while stifling Sharon batsmen in their first meeting. However, Ra'anana came out with an agressive little ball strategy of bunts and steals, which produced two early runs and gave starting pitcher Yeondray Gil-Levy some breathing room. The young Cuban oleh responded beautifully, hurling five innings of one-hit, one-run ball while notching 8 strikeouts. Ra'anana's defense sparkled as well: a tailor-made 6-4-3 double play squleched one potential rally, and catcher Noam Kaplan gunned down a potential base stealer to stifle another one. A sacrifice fly by the Red's player-coach Dan Rothem narrowed the lead to 2-1 after two innings, but the Wildfire then broke the game open with two consecutive 3-run outbursts.

In the third inning, Yoni Frank's surprise bunt with runners at the corners created havoc among the Tel Aviv defense, resulting in both runners scoring and Frank ending up on third. Gil-Levy then helped his own cause by driving him in. The next inning was more of the same: a walk, Guy Peled's bunt single and Daniel Maddy-Weitman's RBI single (his second of three hits on the night) made the score 6-1. Rothem relieved Orr Gottlieb, quickly struck out two batters in a row, and appeared to have staunched the bleeding. But Frank struck again, this time with a two-run opposite field double, upping the score to 8-1. Ra'anana would score three more times before the night was over, while Maddy-Weitzman threw three innings of one-hit, one-run relief, and Netanel Levenson closed out the game with a scoreless ninth. Tel Aviv's domination of the first game, and Ra'anana's solid victory in the second, meant only one thing: all predictions regarding the outcome of the final, championship game (scheduled to be held after this edition went to press) were equally fatuous.

The Tel Aviv Reds had all cyclinders clicking on Wednesday night, pounding out 14 hits on the way to a resounding 13-3 triumph over the Ra'anana Wildfire, in the first game of the best-of-three Senior Baseball Fall Championship Series.

Ra'anana came into the game in the favorite's role, having won seven straight games to earn the home field advantage. But the Spring League champions from Tel Aviv made an emphatic statement in the top of the first inning, plating six runs on five hits, the big blow being a two-run double by player-coach Dan Rothem (the first of his three hits on the nite), and an RBI single by veteran hurler George Chityat. Having helped his own cause, Chityat then proceeded to shut down the Ra'anana attack through five innings, scattering three hits. Stellar defensive play by Rothem and centerfielder Omri Modiano nailed two Ra'anana runners at home plate during a wild fifth inning, with catcher Ofir Katz (who also had a three-hit game) successfully applying the tags. Chityat finally ran out of steam in the sixth, but Ra'anana's three-run rally was squelched by Modiano's sterling shoestring catch to end the inning. Closer Jason Hillman secured the win with two efficient innings of relief. The win saddled Ra'anana's Daniel Maddy-Weitzman with his first loss of the season, and left Tel Aviv one win away from the championship. Game two will be played on Sunday evening at the Baptist Village, Petah Tikva, at 19:00, with game three, if necessary, to take place on Wednesday, at the same time and place.

The Tel Aviv Reds broke out their heavy lumber in Wednesday night baseball playoff action, rolling over Jerusalem 19-6. On paper, Jerusalem came in the slight favorite, having finished the regular season with a 5-3-1 record, one game ahead of Jerusalem, and having gone 2-0-1 against the Reds in head-to-head play. But this was Tel Aviv's night, as they battered three struggling Jerusalem hurlers for 14 hits, assisted by 11 walks. Asaf Rothem (3-6), Jason Hillman (4-6, including two doubles), and player-coach Dan Rothem (3-4, including a double, plus a walk), led the attack. Veteran George Chityat picked up the win for Tel Aviv, backed by Orr Gottlieb and Omri Modiano. Next Wednesday, Tel Aviv will face off in the best 2-of-3 finals against the winner of the first place Ra'anana-4th place Modi'in matchup this coming Sunday, a game which was rained out earlier in the week. All games begin at 7:00 pm at Yarkon Field, Baptist Village, in Petach Tikva.

Raanana Clinches First Place

In yet another display of outstanding pitching and timely hitting, the Ra'anana Wildfire notched its sixth straight victory, beating the Tel Aviv Reds 4-1, to clinch first place in Israel Fall Baseball league play, and win home advantage for the upcoming playoffs. Ra'anana's fine young pitcher, Cuban oleh Yeoandray Gil-Levy, held the Redmen to just one hit over five innings, while striking out 7 and walking just 2. Tel Aviv starter Orr Gottlieb and reliever Jason Hillman were overpowering as well, striking out 20 (!) Ra'anana batters over seven innings. But the Pearls of the Sharon managed to scratch out two runs in the third ininng on a double by Leron Konowiecki, an RBI single by Gil-Levy, and an RBI groundout by catcher Noam Kaplan. It was the first of three RBIs for Kaplan, a former Cadet National team co-captain and U21 National team member, as he continued his torrid hitting, and also gunned down one of Tel Aviv's few base-runners as he was attempting to steal second base.

Meanwhile, league newcomer Cafe Joe Modi'in edged Jerusalem 3-2 behind a strong 7-inning outing by southpaw Jordan Kosterich. Yoni Siegel-Richman was equally impressive on the mound for Jerusalem, but Cafe Joe took advantage of some
defensive miscues to push across two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Moshe Hyde cracked two doubles for Jerusalem, while Theo Taylor sparked Cafe Joe with two hits and savvy baserunning. Taylor was less effective in a relief pitching role in the 8th, allowing Jerusalem to take a 4-3 lead, but a local power outage prevented Cafe Joe from batting in the bottom of the inning,
thus ironically sealing the victory for Cafe Joe by virtue of its lead at the end of the last complete inning of play.

The first round of the playoff schedule has Ra'anana hosting Cafe Joe Modi'in on Sunday, and Jerusalem hosting Tel Aviv on Wednesday. The winners will then meet in a best 2 of 3 series for the championship. All games are at Yarkon Field, at the Baptist Village in Petah Tikva at 19:30.

Ra'anana Wildfire catcher Noam Kaplan's long double keyed a four-run first inning, and consecutive hits by Yoni Frank, Kaplan and Netanel Levenson delivered four addition runs in the second, enabling Ra'anana to cruise to an 11-4 win over Cup O' Joe Modi'in in Israel Senior Baseball Fall League action. The win, Ra'anana's sixth straight, left the Pearls of the Sharon one-half game ahead of Jerusalem, with one week to go in the regular season. Ra'anana's starting pitcher Daniel Maddy-Weitzman threw four hitless innings, striking out six, although a bout of wildness enabled the Java Men to put three runs on on the board. Reliever Elad Cohen hurled two scoreless innings, pitching in and out of trouble, and Levenson mopped up in the final frame. Levenson also led the offensive-minded Wildfire with three hits. Modi'in's drew some solace from player-coach Ira Moskowitz's web gem at second base, and shortstop Theo Taylor's last inning hit and two stolen bases, followed by Ari Short's RBI single.

In other league action, Jerusalem's Yoni Richman-Siegel struggled mightily with his control but managed to strike out 10 batters, as the Holy City squad defeated Tel Aviv 16-10, thus solidifying its hold on second place. Moishe Lewis led the Jerusalem offense with two hits, and Coach Craig Dunning sparkled at first base, while also just missing a HR over the center field fence off of Tel Aviv moundsman George Chityat. The latter did the same against one of Richman-Siegel's offerings. He then stoped to admire his shot, a la Manny Ramirez, and as a result was nearly thrown out at second base.

Inspired, perhaps, by the Colorado Rockies amazing winning streak, the Ra'anana Wildfire rolled to its fifth straight victory, knocking Jerusalem out of first place with a convincing 12-6 win in Israeli Fall Baseball action on Sunday. Once again, it was Ra'anana's pitching dominance and scrappy offense which proved to be the difference.

The game initially had all the earmarks of a taut battle. Jerusalem jumped off to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, sparked by Moishe Lewis' neat lead-off bunt, followed by a stolen base and two infield errors. But Ra'anana's Daniel Maddy-Weitzman avoided further damage by striking out the side. In the bottom of the first, the Wildfire came right back with three runs of their own, led by Yeondray Gil-Levy's RBI single and Netanel Levenson's sacrifice fly. Ra'anana added a fourth run in the second, on a lead-off double by Yonatan Kunda, who was scored on Maddy-Weitzman's RBI single. Jerusalem drew closer in the top of the third, led by Mike Hochman's long double to center field, but failed to take further advantage of three Ra'anana fielding errors, as Levenson nailed Johnny Robbins trying to go from first to third following an errant pick off attempt with a long throw from first base foul territory.

Ra'anana then put the game away, for all intents and purposes, with a sixth run fourth-inning, clubbing five hits off of an obviously tiring Yoni Seigel-Richman (ironically, a Denver native and Rockies fanatic). The big blows were Noam Kaplan's long RBI double, and Maddy-Weitzman's two-run triple just past the outstretched glove of a diving right fielder. It was the latter's third hit of the game. On the mound, too, the soldier-athlete and IBL veteran (Ra'anana Express) was dominant over five innings (10 K's, one walk, 3 hits). Levenson and Gil-Levy expertly mopped up for Ra'anana. Lewis showed off his lefty craftiness in relief for Jerusalem, giving up two runs on just one hit over four innings. But by then, the damage had been done.

The other league game this week, Tel Aviv Reds vs. Cafe Joe Modi'in, was played after the paper went to press. Two weeks remain in the regular season, to be followed by playoffs.

Ra'anana closes in on 1st

Ra'anana notched its third consecutive win and moved to within one-half game of first place by beating still-winless Cafe Joe Modi'in 8-3 this week in the Israel Association of Baseball Senior League.

The game was much closer than the score indicated, as the java men fielded a top-level squad sprinkled with current and former national team players and IBL veterans. Hard-throwing right hander Alon Leichman, of the Israel Baseball League's Beit Shemesh Blue Sox, was dominant during large portions of the game, striking out a whopping 15 batters in seven innings and allowing only two hits.

However, Ra'anana's defense was superior, nailing Modi'in runners to end three different innings, and Ra'anana's offense took full advantage of errors, passed balls and wild pitches to maintain a narrow lead for most of the game.

Consecutive hits and stolen bases in the top of the seventh inning by IBL Ra'anana Express teammates, Daniel Maddy-Weitzman and Guy Peled, widened the lead to three runs, and Ra'anana scored two more in the eighth for insurance.

Ra'anana's Yeondray Gil-Levy scattered four hits over five-and-two-thirds innings, while striking out eight to record the win, and Maddy-Weitzman picked up the save, striking out six in two-and-a-third innings of relief.

Co-league leaders Tel Aviv and Jerusalem dueled to a 6-6 tie, leaving their records at 3-1-1.

Tel Aviv jumped off to an early lead, with IBL Petah Tikva Pioneer veteran George Chityat notching two hits.

However, Jerusalem gradually erased a 6-1 deficit, as pitcher Yoni Richman settled down to stifle the Tel Aviv bats, and Moishe Lewis, one of Art Shamsky's outfielders on the IBL's Modi'in Miracle, led Jerusalem's offensive revival with two hits and a walk.

Tel Aviv's Jason Hillman shut down Jerusalem in a late inning of relief, and a final Tel Aviv rally was cut short by the three-hour time limit.

Ra'anana Closes the Gap

Ra'anana notched its third consecutive win and moved to within one-half game of first place by beating still-winless Cafe Joe Modi'in 8-3 in Israel Senior Baseball action. The game was much closer than the score indicated, as the java men fielded a top-level squad sprinkled with current and ex-Israeli national team players and IBL veterans. Hard throwing right hander Alon Leichman (of last summer's Beit Shemesh Blue Sox) was dominant during large portoins of the game, striking out 15 (!) batters in seven innings and allowing only two hits. But Ra'anana's defense was superior, nailing Modi'in runners to end three different innings, and taking full advantage of errors, past balls and wild pitches to maintain a narrow lead for most of the game. Consecutive hits and stolen bases in the top of the seventh inning by IBL Ra'anana Express teammates, Daniel Maddy-Weitzman and Guy Peled, widened the lead to three runs, and Ra'anana scored two more in the eighth for insurance. Yeondray Gil-Levy scattered four hits over 5 2/3rd innings, while striking out eight to record the win, and Maddy-Weitzman picked up the save, striking out 6 in 2 1/3rd innings of relief.

In an equally hard-fought game, co-league leaders Tel Aviv and Jerusalem dueled to a 6-6 tie, leaving their season records at 3-1-1. Tel Aviv jumped off to an early lead, with IBL Petah Tikva Pioneer veteran George Chityat notching two hits. But Jerusalem gradually erased a 6-1 deficit, as pitcher Yoni Richman settled down to stifle Tel Aviv bats, and Moishe Lewis, one of Art Shamsky's outfielders this past summer, lead the Jerusalem offensive revival with two hits and a walk. Tel Aviv's hard-throwing Jason Hillman shut down the Jerusalem bats in a late inning of relief, and a final Tel Aviv rally was cut short by the three hour drop-dead time.