Hornell takes NYCBL crown

By Paul Gotham

HORNELL, N.Y. — The fly ball to left settled gently into a glove. Blue and white rushed the field and gathered around the pitcher’s mound. The New York Collegiate Baseball League crown had returned to Hornell.

Seth Cornell (Houghton) hurled a complete game, and Brandon Sandoval (Vanguard) paced the offense as Hornell defeated the Oneonta Outlaws, 6-4 to sweep the 2014 NYCBL Championship Series, 2-0.

Cornell earned Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the Championship Series. After allowing three runs on three hits in the first inning, the right-hander held the Oneonta offense in check as Hornell claimed its first league title since 2005.  He struck out five and walked zero.

“He’s a fantastic competitor,” Hornell manager Tom Kenney said. “He was going to get it done. It didn’t matter if it was a two-run cushion or a one-run cushion. Once we got the lead, they came back. We responded again. After that, I said ‘we ain’t gonna lose it.'”

Ramon Osuna Sanchez (College of Charleston) drilled a three-run home run in the first.

“Those things happen” Cornell said. “Just got to keep working.”

Cornell retired the next five batters he faced.

Osuna Sanchez came up in a similar situation in the third. This time with a different result.

Carson Waln (Wofford) reached on a one-out Texas-Leaguer to left field. After a wild pitch, Taylor Jones (No. Georgia Coll & St. U) put runners on the corners with a single to center.  Osuna Sanchez came to the plate with one out, and the Outlaws trailing 4-3.

Cornell picked off the runner at first and got the Oneonta slugger on a fly ball to left field.

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“Just tried to not leave anything out over the plate,” Cornell said of his approach on the mound.

Series MVP Brandon Sandoval (Vanguard) gave Hornell a lead it never surrendered in the second. After fouling off a two-strike pitch from Oneonta starter Brandon Agar (No. Georgia College & St. U), the Dodger center fielder plated Jimmy Latona (Monroe CC) from first with a double to right center.

“I was struggling last series against Geneva,” Sandoval said. “I knew I had to step up this series big time against a team like Oneonta. I was seeing the ball well.”

Hornell strung together three two-out hits in the first to put a three-spot on the board. Thad Johnson (St. Bonaventure) got it started with a single through the right side of the infield. Hank Morrison (Mercyhurst) singled to left, and Spencer Scorza (Cornell) went back up the middle to drive in a run.

“It was an off-speed pitch,” Scorza explained. “I just tried to stay short (with my swing). Kinda what I’ve done the whole year just work up the middle and keep it simple as I can.”

Morrison scored when the ball was misplayed in center. Scorza moved to third and came home when Connor Lewis (Monroe CC) reached on an error.

“That’s what we’ve done the whole year,” Scorza added. “Extend the inning with two outs.”

Agar allowed four runs on seven hits over six and a third. The 6-3 right-hander struck out five and walked one.

“I ended up finding my stuff a little too late,” Agar stated. “One thing that I really just focused on coming into the game was to give the team a chance. I felt like we matched up well against them. At the end of the day, they bested us. You gotta tip your cap to them.”

Hornell added two in the eighth off the Oneonta bullpen.

Johnson got it started it again, this time with a leadoff hit. One out later, Scorza singled to left. Lewis loaded the bases with a walk. Jordan Climpson (Cameron) followed suit and forced home the eventual game-winning  run with the second of four free passes issued by the Outlaws relief corps. Blake Thomas (Webster U) brought home a run with a ground ball.

“We gave them everything we had,” Oneonta manager Joe Hughes said. “They prevailed. They were the better team. Congratulations to them. They’ve had a heckuva summer. I’m proud of our kids, and the way we fought and got to this point. We had a good run. We’re the Eastern Division champions. We defended out title.”

Oneonta threatened in the eighth. Cornell battled back from a 3-0 count before Osuna Sanchez took a full count pitch to left. Jimmy Hand (Northeastern) moved the runner to second with a ground ball to the right side, and Frank D’Agostino (Temple) delivered with a base hit to right. Matt Pelt (Wofford) tried to catch the Hornell on its heels with a bunt, but Cornell alertly got off the mound and fired to first for the third out.

Cornell retired the side in order in the ninth. He went 2-0 in the post-season. The Almond, New York native hurled 7.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen to clinch the LDS over Niagara. He scattered six hits and struck out 13 while walking one.

“He’s a prospect,” Kenney noted. “Should be a prospect. Scouts should go find him.”

Climpson caught the final out.

Osuna Sanchez took the Championship Series Offensive MVP. He produced all four of Oneonta’s game two runs and collected four hits in eight trips overall.

Sandoval went 4-8 with two RBI and a run scored over the two games.

Scorza had three hits, two RBI and two runs scored in the series.

Johnson also added three hits.

“It means a lot,” Johnson said of the championship. “In high school I was unable to get a state title. We were 0-3 I think. Came here and winning something is always nice.”

The championship was Hornell’s fifth in franchise history. Kenney served as an assistant coach for the Cohocton Red Wings before he founded the organization in 1994. Kenney took over as manager last year.

“That’s the best Dodger record ever,” Kenney said of his team’s 38-8 2014 regular season ledger. “That’s the best NYCBL record ever. That’s gotta be the best winning percentage in American collegiate summer baseball this year.”

Including their time as the Saratoga Phillies, Oneonta has won three titles. The Outlaws swept Hornell a year ago.

Only the Broome Rangers have won more NYCBL titles (6).

Despite playing the game at Hornell’s Maple City Park, Oneonta was the home team for game two. After rain suspended game one, the teams agreed to the modified schedule to adjust for weather delays combined with travel concerns and the league-mandated end date of August fourth.