By Nate Discavage
ONEONTA, N.Y. — Kody Ruedisili (Wofford College) stepped up to the plate with every Little Leaguer’s dream staring him in the face. Trailing the Cortland Crush 5-4 in the bottom of the tenth inning, the Oneonta Outlaws had the bases loaded.
Ruedisili lined a 1-0 pitch into left field and watched as Carson Waln (Wofford College) and Jimmy Hand (Northeastern) crossed the plate with the tying and winning runs as the Outlaws rallied to beat Cortland Crush 6-5 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action Sunday night at Damaschke Field.
“I was just trying to keep it simple and stay the same,” Ruedisili said about walking up to the plate. “I had a couple opportunities earlier in the game that didn’t pan out, but I got one right there.”
The Outlaws drew first blood in the first inning. Ramon Osuna Sanchez (College of Charleston) ripped an RBI-double to deep left before Hand’s two-run single gave Oneonta a 3-0 lead.
Zephan Kash (Mansfield University) had his first of two hits in the top of the third when he lofted a two-run double to right field to make it 3-2. Alex Lind (Lake Erie College) then tied the game with an RBI-double. Lind had three hits in the ballgame.
Both teams traded scoreless innings until Tyler Martis (Sienna College) hit an RBI bloop single just past the second baseman’s glove in the bottom of the eighth to put the Outlaws ahead 4-3.
Oneonta was one out away from shutting down the Crush in the ninth before Kash hit an RBI single up the middle to score the game-tying run from second base.
“I just went up there with a good approach and got a pitch I could drive,” Kash said.
Zachary Racusin (Marist College) gave Cortland the lead in the top of the tenth inning with an RBI infield single.
The first two batters for Oneonta popped out before John Boland (Wofford College) singled, Hand walked, and Martis was hit by a pitch to set the stage for Ruedisili. Lind had a strong throw to home plate on the final play; however, his throw pulled the catcher from home plate to give the Outlaws the win.
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The team stormed the field and ripped Ruedisili’s jersey off while dog-piling in right field. It was Oneonta’s second walk off against Cortland in three days.
Racusin had two hits for Cortland. Nick Rybarczyk (Hillsborough Community College) had three hits and scored a
run.
Taylor Jones (University of North Georgia), Sanchez, and Hand all had two hits for Oneonta.
Joe Hughes, the Outlaws’ coach, was proud of his team’s composure under pressure.
“It looked our way early in the game; then they come back and fight; and then we go ahead; and then they take the lead. We just kept grinding out at bats, and Kody [Ruedisili] had a great hit to win it,” Hughes said. “We felt confident. He is a good hitter and put the ball in play.”
Neither starter lasted long for their team. Ben Moxley (Herkimer County Community College) pitched three and one third innings giving up three runs on five hits. He struck out three.
Cortland’s Jeremy Wei (Lake Erie College) lasted only one inning. He allowed three runs on two hits and walked two.
Daniel Karasinski (Concordia College) came on to help the Crush. He pitched seven and two thirds innings in relief. Karasinski allowed an unearned run on five hits and struck out six. He did not walk a batter.
Jaren Drummond (Grand Canyon University) pitched three and one third innings in relief for the Outlaws. He scattered two hits and struck out four.
Oneonta (17-12) enters the All Star break one game behind the Geneva Red Wings (18-11) and will face the Sherrill Silversmiths (15-15) when play resumes on July 9th. Cortland (11-19) will host the Red Wings on the 9th.
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