By Paul Casey Gotham
(Hornell, N.Y.) Dave Brust’s Webster Yankees learned a painful lesson Thursday night: that one good turn deserves another. Twenty-four hours after an improbable come-from-behind victory, Webster looked poised to steal another win until the Hornell Dodgers spoiled the comeback.
Hornell combined timely defense and clutch pitching to earn a walk-off 5-4 win in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Maple City Park. Two double plays turned by the Hornell gloves along with strong outing by the Dodger bullpen neutralize an outstanding hitting display by Webster’s Matt Delewski (Toledo).
Two inning-ending double plays proved the difference as the Yanks left 12 runners on base. Webster continued their momentum from the previous night loading the bases in the first inning. With one out, Blake Beemer (Ball State) reached on an error. Delewski followed with his first of five hits on the night. Ollie Bertrand (Flagler) walked to load the bases, but the rally stopped there. A ground ball eliminated Beemer at home, and a strike out ended the frame.
Webster threatened again in the third. Delewski slashed a two-out single to left and Bertrand worked another walk. Both were left stranded.
The home nine struck in the fifth when Delewski’s one out single scored Monte Marrocco from third. With Beemer and Delewski on the corners, Webster had the chance for more, but a double play stymied the rally.
Webster tied the game at four in the sixth. With bases loaded, Beemer took a pitch off the hip to force home Evan Wexler (Niagara). Delewski plated Wes Winkle (Ball State) with a single, but the stanza ended when Hornell’s left fielder, Tony Micklon came up throwing and caught a Webster runner at third.
In the seventh, the Yankees rallied to tie the score. Matt Boulter (So. New Hampshire) scored when Dodgers first baseman, Craig Schaefer mishandled a ground ball by Johnny Brill (Rhodes). With bases loaded, Webster threatened to blow out the game. Dodger right fielder, Adam McFarland ended those plans with a catch and double play at second to shortstop Ray Fuentes.
Micklon and Tony Foltz led the Dodger hitting attack. Micklon staked Hornell to a three-run lead in the third with bases-clearing double. Foltz added two hits and an RBI as the Dodgers single runs in the fifth, sixth and ninth. Schaefer’s two-out single scored McFarland with the game-winner. Nick Scheetz, Ed Schleuter and Jesse Orozco came out of the pen and held the Yankees to one run over the final three and two-thirds.
Delewski finished with five hits and two RBI for Webster. The sophomore from Maple Heights, Ohio has seven hits in ten at bats thus far. Wednesday,Webster scored eight runs in the bottom of the ninth to beat Elmira 8-7.
Webster hosts Niagara tonight. First pitch at “The Basket” is scheduled for 7 p.m. Out-of-town fans can listen to the game on TEAMLINE – your internet home for the New York Collegiate Baseball League.
Leave a Reply