LIVINGSTON MANOR– On a beautiful day in Livingston Manor, the Rockland Wolves hosted the Eldred Yellowjackets for a matchup featuring excellent defense and a mid-game turn around that saw Eldred come out on top 9-4. The game was played on May 4.

Rockland came out strong with four runs in the opening inning, but Eldred answered with three of its own to make it 4-3 early before completing the comeback in the third inning to pull away. Eldred held a 6-4 lead entering the bottom of the third and closed the inning with three consecutive strikeouts, halting any momentum Rockland hoped to build.

The game tightened defensively in the fourth inning, as Rockland recorded three quick outs in the top half on a series of pop flies, while Eldred managed just a lone baserunner via walk. Rockland’s bats went quiet in the bottom half, striking out in order. Eldred broke through again in the fifth, stringing together hits before Mason Tice sparked the offense—reaching base, stealing second and third, and eventually scoring on an infield single to extend the lead to 7-4. 

 The Yellowjackets continued to apply pressure in the sixth, loading the bases with one out before a ground ball double play brought home another run, pushing the advantage to 8-4.

Eldred added insurance in the seventh inningwith Mason Tice again getting on base, stealing his way into scoring position, and crossing the plate on a single. Despite a brief threat aided by a Rockland fielding error that put two runners in scoring position, the Wolves escaped further damage with a strikeout. In the bottom of the seventh, Rockland’s final rally attempt was cut short after a leadoff single was erased on a caught stealing, followed by two strikeouts to end the game.

“We came together and put the bat on the ball,” Eldred Coach John Simonsen said. “We had a great game with a positive attitude, and we had a lot of hits. It was a good consistent game and I’m proud of the team.”

On the mound for Rockland, Ben Johnston fanned 6 batters and walked 2. For the winning Eldred Yellowjackets Evan Zgrodek struck out 15 batters over 7 innings and added 2 hits and 3 RBI. Mason Tice went 3-for-3 with 1 RBI and 5 stolen bases and Holden Gillespie went 1-for-3 with 2 sacrifice bunts, and 1 RBI.