On the brisk opening day of the 1998 Jericho Little League season, the Power Motor Mets and the Popular Uniform Devil Rays played to an exciting 10-10 tie on Sat., April 4. The Devil Rays jumped out to a 10-1 lead behind the superb pitching of Ryan Tolkin, but the Mets stormed back with two runs in the fourth inning and seven runs in the fifth inning before the game reached its time limit and had to be declared a tie.

The D-Rays built up the early lead with timely hits by Max Mottshweller, David Walton and Mac Tichner, as well as smart base running by Scott Drattell, Brian Landsman and Daniel Pelsinger. In fact, the Rays registered 13 stolen bases in the first four innings!

The Mets' bats started slowly as the team, comprised primarily of fifth graders, was getting its first taste of live pitching. To make matters more difficult, they were facing Ryan Tolkin, one of the league's top pitchers. Tolkin pitched marvelously and was aided by his catcher and cousin, Josh Tolkin, who was keeping the Mets runners at bay with his excellent play.

However, just when the Mets thought their opener was a lost cause, the bats came alive in the fourth inning. After a couple of walks, Brandon Cohen drove in two runs with a clutch base hit. Then, in the fifth, the Mets exploded for seven runs, as Josh Friedman and David Skurnik launched base-clearing home runs. The entire lineup produced during the fifth inning rally, with solid hits by Jason Hochman, Eric Bachman, Ryan Goldsmith, and smart baserunning by Evan Blidner, Robbie Stein and Mike Madar.

Hochman pitched a strong game for the Mets, overcoming a couple of shaky innings early on and getting stronger as the game progressed. The Mets defense also solidified as the game went on, with sparkling play turned in by Daniel Palmieri, David Goldblatt, Jake Shimon and Michael Gould.

The Devil Rays also displayed top notch defense, led by the great fielding of David Ariel, Greg Mann, Bradley Schatz and Joey Klein.

It was a great way to start the season and players from both teams are looking forward to an exciting and fun-filled season.

On Sun., April 5, the Power Motor Mets edged the Nationwide Chemical Diamondbacks by a score of 7-6. With sparkling pitching by Eric Bachman and Ryan Goldsmith and error-free fielding for most of the game, the Mets built a 7-2 lead after five innings and then hung on for dear life as the Diamondbacks rallied in the top of the sixth and almost overcame the deficit. However, with two outs and the tying runner on, this nail-biter of a game ended on a line drive out to the Mets' second baseman, Daniel Palmieri.

It was fitting that Palmieri squeezed the final out, as he was the Mets' fielding star all day. He also shined at the plate, knocking in two runs on a clutch base hit in the fourth inning. Other Mets hitting stars included David Skurnik (double, two RBIs), Evan Blidner and Robbie Stein, whose picture perfect bunt and smart base stealing manufactured a run in the third.

The Mets' Jason Hochman showed he could play both ends of the battery as he followed up his superb pitching Saturday with a terrific catching performance Sunday. The Mets' defense also received solid performances by Michael Gould, David Goldblatt, Jake Shimon, Mike Madar, Josh Friedman and Brandon Cohen.

The Diamondbacks played well enough to win but came up just short. Roy Tucillo pitched an excellent game and the fielding of Chad Lackow, Jordan Dank, Ricky Voight and Josh Algaze helped keep them in the game until the bitter end.

In the crucial top of the sixth, the Mets made their first three errors of the game, and it almost cost them the game. After Voight, Gordon and Algaze all reached base on errors, Elias Tacher singled to drive in two runs just before the final out.

Both teams are looking forward to resuming play in a couple of weeks, following next week's spring break.