Israeli Sandy Koufax pitches no-hitter in new Israeli baseball league

Israel's first baseball season is in full swing.

 

Last update - 06:21 04/07/2007   

 

Modi'in's Bennet tosses Baseball league's second no-hitter

 

By Haaretz Sports Staff

Australian lefty Matt Bennett pitched the Israel Baseball League's second no-hitter of the 10-day-old season to out-duel Brooklyn native Alper Ulatas Tuesday night, as the Modi'in Miracle beat the Petah Tikva Pioneers 2-0 in a game that lasted just one hour and 36 minutes.

 

Bennett dominated his seven innings of work, striking out 10 and giving up only one walk. Modi'in's scoring came off the bat of Californian Aaron Levin, who hit a solo home run in the fourth inning to put the Miracle up 1-0. Dominican centerfielder Adalberto Paulino added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI double. Modi'in improved to 3-2 on the season.

 

Ulatas gave up two runs and four hits in five-and-two-thirds innings for Petah Tikva, which dropped to 1-6.

 

At Yarkon Field at the Baptist Village in Petach Tikva, the Beit Shemesh Blue Sox stayed undefeated, beating the Ra'anana Express 5-0 to improve to 7-0 on the season.

 

Dominican right-hander Juan Feliciano pitched a complete game two-hit shutout, striking out nine and walking just two batters to improve his record to 2-0. The Blue Sox were aided by a shaky Ra'anana defense as well as the bats of star hitters Jason Rees and Johnny Lopez. Rees went 2-3 on the night with an RBI, raising his batting average to .579, and Lopez went 3-4 with a run scored putting him at .440.

 

Manager Ron Blomberg's club is now 2.5 games ahead of the second-place Tel Aviv Lightning.

 

Wednesday's games will be played at noon due to the Fourth of July celebration. It will be the Netanya Tigers vs. the Modi'in Miracle at Gezer Field, and the Beit Shemesh Blue Sox vs. the Petah Tikva Pioneers at Yarkon Sports Complex.