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SHRUB OAK, N.Y. -- Through 10 games, Peekskill had just two wins in the Westchester-Putnam Baseball Association 18-and-under division. Peekskill did not want it to continue. A victory over Shrub Oak would send Peekskill on its winning ways. Peekskill closed strong and reached the final, Saturday, at Lakeland High School. When it was finished, Peekskill found itself celebrating a title after a 6-5 win over Beekman.
Brian Egan, who doubled to lead off the inning and was sacrificed to third, scored the winning run on a balk. Egan, a 2011 Peekskill graduate, finished 3 for 3, including two doubles and two runs scored. This is a great win for us, said Egan, 17. For most of us, this is our first championship. I had never won a championship. Its the greatest feeling. All Ive ever wanted to do was win a championship. Egan was sacrificed to second by Remy Fields. Following an intentional walk, Egan explained the Beekman pitcher tried to the fake to throw to third and go to first, but was called for the balk.
I was waiting for Dany Kurylas to get a single and bring me in, said Egan, who leaves for Maritime College, Sunday. When the pitcher did the third-to-first move, I didnt expect the ump to call it, at first, but he made the right call.
Peekskill put itself in position to win by scoring four runs in the fifth inning to even the score at 5-5. Peekskill also received a huge effort from relief pitcher Greg Edwards, who threw five scoreless innings and struck out five.
In the fifth, Mario Rice led off with a single, but the next two hitters made out. Dominic Evangelista was safe on an error. Chris Boryk was also safe on an error, scoring Rice and sending Evangelista to third. Egan doubled in Evangelista and Fields followed with a two-run single, chasing home Boryk and Egan.
In that inning, they made a couple of errors and we took advantage of it, Egan said. We also made an adjustment to the pitcher. He had been keeping the ball low in the zone. He had a good curveball so we started keeping our hands back on the curveball and hitting his fastball early in the count. Peekskill manager Chris Edwards was happy for his players. It feels awesome because these guys battled every game and won games to get us to this title, said the 24-year-old Edwards, a 2005 Peekskill graduate. The Peekskill 16-and-under team lost in the final to Shrub Oak, 11-3.
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