Leiderman's double rallies Bellmore JFK

This is about as clutch as it gets. Bellmore JFK's baseball team was down to its final out Monday. The Cougars had been shut out by Long Beach starter Mickey Silberfeld through six innings and trailed by three runs.

Silberfeld left the game with a runner on and none out in the top of the seventh when he felt some elbow soreness. Bellmore JFK loaded the bases against reliever Danny Mayper and with two outs, up came one of the Cougars' hottest hitters: second baseman David Leiderman.

You can call Leiderman the delivery guy. Leiderman lined a two-out, three-run double to the right-centerfield gap that forced extra innings and propelled Bellmore JFK past Long Beach, 6-3, in a Nassau Conference A-II baseball game.

Leiderman also keyed a three-run rally in the ninth with a run-scoring single. The comeback victory kept Bellmore unbeaten in conference play at 4-0.

"He was behind in the count and I was looking for a fastball in the seventh inning," Leiderman said. "It was a little up and I drove it the other way."

The drive cleared the bases as Brandon Serota slid home before the throw to tie the score at 3.

"We showed some character in coming back to win," Bellmore JFK coach Eric Passman said. "We had some real clutch hits."

SEE PHOTOSBellmore JFK 6, Long Beach 3

The Cougars never solved Silberfeld, who was brilliant for the second straight outing. Silberfeld held Bellmore to two hits and struck out four in six innings. He was also a tough-luck 1-0 loser April 11 when he allowed only two hits and struck out seven against defending county champion Calhoun.

"I felt a little funky in my elbow in the seventh and had to come out," Silberfeld said, his elbow wrapped in ice. "I'm sure it'll be fine."

Long Beach (0-4) took a 1-0 lead in the first when Phil Aquila walked, stole second and scored on a two-out single by Albert Doerbecker. The Marines made it 3-0 when pinch hitter Ben Lerich lined a two-out, two-run single in the sixth.

It looked as if Long Beach wouldn't let this one slip away in the bottom of the eighth. But with runners at second and third and one out, the batter missed the squeeze sign and Doerbecker was nailed at the plate. After tagging out Doerbecker, catcher Robert Delgado threw out Bill Foley trying to steal third for a double play.

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"The pitch was a little outside against a lefty and I saw the guy coming," said Delgado, who threw out five would-be base stealers. "And we made the play."