Pickin' Splinters

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Haley’s Comet: Hornell outlasts Avon in extra innings

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Cullen Haley struck out 13 and improved his record to 3-0 on the season. (Photo: CAROLE VOLPE)

By PAUL GOTHAM 

AVON, N.Y. — With five of its first six games decided by two runs or fewer, the Hornell High School baseball team didn’t flinch when Tuesday’s Livingston County AA game went to extra innings.

And the Red Raiders took advantage of the familiarity.

Cullen Haley hurled seven innings of one-run ball and delivered the key at-bat in the eighth as Hornell defeated host Avon, 3-1.

“They’re used to it,” Hornell head coach Jake Kenney said after his squad’s fourth win of the season by a combined total of six runs. “All we need is a little spark. Once we get that first guy on, that gets our juices going a little bit.”

Haley’s two-out fly ball found a patch of grass in deep centerfield allowing Griffyn Baker and Nick Oyer (breaking on contact) to score on the play.

“Whether it was an error or a hit, it was struck well,” Kenney noted. “You put pressure on the defense and good things are going to happen. We try to do that on the base paths and we did just enough at the plate to get it done.”

Haley and Avon starter Michael Rowland dueled into the seventh inning. Both left a pair of runners on base in the first.

Haley retired seven of eight before giving up a leadoff single to Hudson Volpe to start the fourth. Volpe moved to second on a dropped third strike and scored on Trevor Stroud flare to right center.

Rowland retired 13 straight batters from the end of the second into the sixth before he surrendered a one out walk to Griffyn Baker.

“We knew this was a big game coming in,” Kenney stated. “Avon’s a good program, a good team that’s won sectionals a bunch recently. We knew we were going to have to have a good game all across the board to be able to win.”

Baker stole second and advanced on a pair of errors on the play to knot the game at one.

“They don’t get flustered when they get behind. They know they’ve got it in ‘em to come back. They stay composed.”

The game stayed that way into the eighth when Baker led with an infield single. The Hornell first baseman advanced on an errant pickoff throw, and Oyer received an intentional walk to set up Haley.

“We were able to do just enough,” Kenney said.

Haley improved his record to 3 wins without a loss on the season.

“He’s thrown really well this year. We need him to win. We’re not a high-octane offense, so we’ve got to rely on our pitching. Play good defense. He’s kept us in a lot of games between this year and last year. He did a better job of getting ahead of hitters, today.”

The senior right-hander struck out 13 while surrendering one walk and five hits.

“He beat Bath (Haverling) last week but he struggled with his command. I thought he was better with that today. Challenging hitters early in counts. He throws pretty well. Good fastball with a nice little curveball. He mixes in the change-up. He’s been a key factor for us all year.

“He’s the guy we run out against better teams every week, and he’s been up to the challenge so far.”

The win came after Hornell fell to Class AA Corning (IV) on Saturday in a game that contrasted (15-3) the Red Raiders close battles in other contests.

“We saw a Division I pitcher,” Kenney said referring to the Hawks’ Aidan Chamberlain who is committed to play at the Naval Academy. “Rowland (Avon starter, Michael) throws really well but at a different speed. It took us a while to get adjusted. He mixes pitches really well, and we didn’t adjust very well. He had our number for the first five or six innings.”

Baker worked a scoreless eighth with two strikeouts for the save.

Hornell (4-3) travels to play Bolivar-Richburg on Thursday.

Avon (6-2) hosts York.

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