Blue Sox down Petah Tikva Pioneers 6-1; Benson credits defense.
By SHLOMO SPRUNG
Michigan native Jason Benson (1-0) threw a complete game Wednesday as the Beit Shemesh Blue Sox downed the Petah Tikva Pioneers 6-1 to stay undefeated.
Benson allowed one run on two hits in his seven innings of work, allowing only a Michael Olson home run with one out in the fourth inning.
Benson credited the Beit Shemesh defense for his success today.
"We had pretty good defense today, our whole team trusts each other. That's why we're 8-0," he said. "We all know that one guy's gonna step up, whether it's Rees or Lopez, we gotta ride this out until we lose."
Petah Tikva (1-7) starter Abel Moreno (1-2) allowed six runs on seven hits in five innings, including four runs in the fourth inning.
Jason Rees went 3-3 including a towering home run to dead center field in the fourth.
Rees leads the IBL with five longballs, and he was very appreciative of today's starting pitching.
"The team's playing really well," he said. "Benson pitched awesome today."
The Blue Sox scored two in the first inning on a run scoring single by Scott Jarmakowicz, and got the second run on a passed ball.
The Rees three run homer made it 6-0 after the fifth run was scored on a single by Gregg Reymundo.
Ari Alexenberg pitched two scoreless innings for the Pioneers in a losing cause, as the Blue Sox continue to roll through the league.
Modi'in 6, Netanya 1
The Modi'in Miracle earned its third win in a row, beating the Netanya Tigers 6-1 at Gezer Field on Wednesday. Modi'in pitcher Craig Eagle tossed a complete game, giving up four hits and one run while striking out six and walking none.
Miracle first baseman and IBL first overall pick Aaron Levin continued to work himself out of his early-season slump. He went 2-3 with four RBI and one run scored, including an RBI-double that put the Miracle up 1-0 in the first inning and a three-run home run in the sixth to put the game away.
Modi'in's Dominican centerfielder Adalberto Paulino raised his batting average to .353 on the season, going 2-3 with a two-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning to break the 1-1 tie.
Sportek to open Sunday
The IBL announced Wednesday that the baseball field at Sportek in Tel Aviv will finally open on Sunday, two weeks late. The scheduled game between the Netanya Tigers and Petah Tikva Pioneers will be played.
Wednesday's results: Beit Shemesh 6, Petah Tikva 1; Modi'in 6, Netanya 1. Thursday's games: Beit Shemesh vs Modi'in (5 p.m. at Gezer Field); Ra'anana vs Petah Tikva (7 p.m. at Yarkon Field).
WLPctGB
Beit Shemesh801.000-
Tel Aviv42.6673
Modi'in42.6673
Netanya23.40041â„2
Ra'anana16.1436
Petah Tikva17.1257