SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The task was daunting. To earn a spot in the post-season, the Sherrill Silversmiths needed to defeat the first-place Syracuse Jr. Chiefs and move on to a one-game playoff.
The challenge proved too much.
Zach Blanden (Binghamton) plated Riley Moonan (Fairleigh Dickinson) with a walkoff base hit as the Jr. Chiefs trimmed the Silversmiths, 8-7 on the final day of regular season play in the New York Collegiate Baseball League.
Blanden’s one-out single off Thomas Moriarty (Hamilton) broke a 7-7 tie and ended Sherrill’s season.
Robert Frank (St. Thomas Aquinas) earned a four-inning save for the Jr. Chiefs. The right-hander struck out six, walked three and allowed one run on two hits.
Sherrill tied the game in the top of the ninth.
With backs against the wall, Nick Flemister (St. John Fisher) punched a two-out hit to score Brad Kaczka (Monroe CC) and give the Smitties a chance.
But the first-place Jr. Chiefs came out on top of this see-saw battle.
The Smitties grabbed a two-run lead in the second. Taylor Hackett (Niagara) and Anthony Ragos (Davis and Elkins) hit back-to-back RBI singles giving the Smitties a two-run lead in the second.
Ryan Sonberg (Bates) cut the lead in half with a base hit scoring Patrick McClure (Fairleigh Dickinson). Syracuse tied the score in the third when Blanden scored on a double play.
The teams scored four runs each in the fifth.
Christian Knott (East Stroudsburg) homered to give the Jr. Chiefs a 7-6 lead after eight.
Derek DuBois (Clark) took the loss allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits through four and two-thirds innings.
Sherrill finished the season 16-24.
The Jr. Chiefs face the Syracuse Salt Cats in the opening round of the NYCBL playoffs.
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