IBL: Modi'in overcomes Ra'anana in HR derby

The Beit Shemesh Blue Sox and the Netanya Tigers played the last half-inning of the protested July 1st game, with the Blue Sox pulling it out.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
IBL 298.88 (photo credit: AP)
IBL 298.88
(photo credit: AP)
It took a home run derby at Kibbutz Gezer for the Modi'in Miracle to defeat the Ra'anana Express 2-1. Ra'anana righty Joshua Zumbrun threw a complete game and gave up just one unearned run on three hits with five strikeouts and no walks. But Miracle left-hander Ian Okorofsky of Ontario, Canada, was almost as unhittable, allowing one run on four hits with a strikeout and two walks. The masterful pitching from both teams led to the home run derby in which Modi'in first baseman Aaron Levin slugged three homers to lead the Miracle to the 4-2 derby win and the overall victory. The Beit Shemesh Blue Sox and the Netanya Tigers played the last half-inning of the protested July 1st game with the Blue Sox opening the bottom of the seventh leading 10-5. The Tigers managed to score two runs, but it wasn't enough to come back on the Sox. The Tigers did come back the day's regularly scheduled game to beat the Blue Sox 5-3. Beit Shemesh was leading 3-1 through 51⁄2 innings, but the Netanya offense came alive in the bottom of the seventh to put four runs on the board. First baseman Ty Eriksen of Vancouver, Washington went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored while catcher Sam Faeder and leftfielder Dan Rootenberg also chipped in two hits apiece for the Tigers. New York native Leon Feingold collected his third victory of the season with seven innings of work, giving up three runs on six hits while striking out two and walking four as the Tigers remain 11 games behind the first-place Sox. The second-place Tel Aviv Lightning pulled within a game of Beit Shemesh by beating the Petah Tikva Pioneers 8-3 at the Baptist Village. Rightfielder Jeff Hastings went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored while Dominican shortstop Raul Franco raised his average to .380 with two hits, an RBI, and two runs scored. Third baseman Nate Fish also collected two hits and an RBI as the Lightning's winning streak reaches five games and the Pioneers lose their eighth straight.