by Ethan Berch_x000D_
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Axcess Reporter Ethan Berch (@eberch5) gets to talk with the head coach of the NBNM Rebels following their opening game victory in the 2020 Columbus Day Tournament! pic.twitter.com/K1yjmdRDGd
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— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 9, 2020
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Columbus Day Weekend, you already know what is coming at you, baseball all weekend long! Today, Friday the ninth of October is the opening day of these packed tournaments. At Cantiague Park the 10u NBNM Rebels took on the LI Storm in an East Coast Tournament matchup! _x000D_
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Peter Imbriano got the start for the Rebels on the cool night under the lights. The Storm happen to strike first when Brett Baek stepped up and smoked a long double over the left fielders head scoring the games first run. However, it would get a lot more silent for that Storm offense as Imbriano went to work. He struck out 2 in a row to end the inning._x000D_
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Shane Harris delivers with a big 2 run knock, he would end up scoring on an throwing error go out of play! Rebels up 9-1!! pic.twitter.com/RJqJdfpUSa
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— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 9, 2020
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The Rebel offense was loud from the gates. It started in the bottom of the first when Mike Cotto ripped a long fly ball over the right fielders head which rolled all the way to the fence. Cotto scored with ease with an inside-the-park homerun putting the Storm up 2-1. The runs didn’t stop in the first as the Rebels put together 5 runs including RBI singles from Tyler Keegan, Landon Behrens, and Shane Harris. _x000D_
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The Rebels would continue to steam roll right through this Storm team as their offensive surge never ended. Shane Harris added to the fun in the bottom of the third with a two run single, 8-1 Rebels. Mike Cotto put the icing on the cake with an RBI single and then scored after a steal and a throwing error in the bottom of the fourth making it 11-1 and it forcing a mercy rule._x000D_
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The NBNM Rebels come out on top 11-1 (F/4) over the LI Storm. Mike Cotto concluded his night with a 2-2 stat line and 3 RBIs. They key to this game was starting early, “We came out aggressive and set the tone with a five run inning in the first inning,” said the head coach of the NBNM Rebels.