Dodgers Tie Tigers in Nine Innings

PALISADES PONY BASEBALL ASSOCIATION

In one of the longest and most exciting games so far this season, the Dodgers and Tigers traded leads for two and a half hours before settling for an 11-11 tie Saturday in a battle between first-place teams in the Palisades Pony Baseball Association’s Mustang Division. Bob Jeffers’ National League-leading Dodgers (7-2-1) were ahead 5-3 in the top of the sixth inning when the Tigers plated three runs to even the score. The American League- leading Tigers (8-1-1), coached by Brian Sullivan, took the lead in the top of the seventh, but the Dodgers answered with a run in the bottom of the seventh. Neither team scored in the eighth inning. The Tigers again took the lead with a pair of runs in the top of the ninth inning, but the Dodgers rallied to score two of their own as the game reached its two-and-a-half hour time limit. ‘It was the best game I’ve ever seen played on these fields,’ Jeffers said. ‘Neither side gave an inch, so it was fitting that there was no losing team that day. It was magical in that you had the two league leaders going at it, and the momentum seemed to change every inning. As the home team, the pressure was on us to match whatever they did.’ Saturday’s draw was a rematch of last Wednesday’s series opener, which the Tigers won 11-10 in another seesaw duel. After two games and 15 hard fought innings, only one run separated the two teams and each remained atop its league. Stand outs in the two-game series included Michael Sullivan, Austin Kammel, and Brandon Newman for the Tigers and Charlie Jeffers, Harrison Wollman and Jeremy Cohen for the Dodgers. In other interleague games in Mustang (ages 10-11), the Red Sox and Phillies traded victories, as did the Cardinals and Indians and the Orioles and Braves. The Red Sox (5-5) won 13-10 and lost 3-0 to the Phillies (2-8), remaining three-and-a-half games behind the first-place Tigers in the American League. The Cardinals (5-5) won 4-3 and lost 8-4 to the Indians (3-7) to stay two-and-a-half games behind the Dodgers in the National League while the Braves (5-5) lost 13-1 and won 6-5 against the Orioles (4-6) to stay tied for second place with the Cardinals. Games continue Saturday at Palisades Recreation Center’s Field of Dreams complex. PINTO (ages 7-9) As in the Mustang Division, the Dodgers and Tigers remained in first place atop their respective leagues by splitting a pair of head-to-head meetings in interleague play last week at the Rec Center diamonds. The National League-leading Dodgers (7-3) edged the Tigers, 7-6, in the first game but the American League-leading Tigers (7-3) won the second game 11-7. The Cardinals (5-5) and Indians (6-4) split their two meetings to remain in second place in their divisions. The Cardinals won the first game 12-10 and the Indians rebounded 8-7 in the second. In a matchup between third-place teams, the Red Sox (5-5) swept the Phillies 15-8 and 9-5 to move two games behind the first-place Tigers in the American League. The Orioles (4-6) beat the Braves (2-8) in the first game, 14-10, while the Braves took Saturday’s game 18-5. Games continue Saturday at the Field of Dreams complex. BRONCO (ages 11-13) The Indians remained the only undefeated team in PPBA, improving to 10-0 last week with 6-4 and 1-0 interleague victories last week over the Cardinals. The Red Sox (7-2-1) remained two-and-a-half games back in the American League with 8-6 and 6-2 wins over the Phillies (1-9) and the Dodgers (7-2-1) remained atop the National League with 13-6 and 20-8 triumphs over the Tigers (3-7). In the other series, the Braves (4-5-1) stayed in third in the National League, beating the Orioles (0-9-1) by a 5-2 score in one game. The Orioles played one of their best games of the season in the other meeting, earning a 10-10 tie against their interleague opponent. Games continue this afternoon and Saturday at the Field of Dreams complex.