ONEONTA – Sidney’s baseball team is not about to be outdone by the exploits of its basketball and football teams.
The Warriors took a step toward matching those programs’ accomplishments winning their first Midstate Athletic Conference championship and first league title in 12 years beating Oxford Friday, 5-3, at Neahwa Field in Oneonta.
On the heels of sectional titles by the two aforementioned clubs, this Sidney group could complete a triple crown of titles if it continues to play as it did against the Blackhawks. “There was a lot of pressure on these guys considering what the basketball and football teams did,” said Sidney coach Kyle Vibbard, who previously guided Sherburne-Earlville into league title contention several years ago.
After a rough start, Sidney hurler Cody Rose threw zeroes the final six innings allowing just three Oxford hits. He was buoyed by an offensive awakening in the sixth in which they put together five hits – three of the extra-base variety – and scored the go-ahead runs. The tallies all came after Oxford hurler Steve Locke had retired 10 straight batters, and appeared poised to win his ninth straight decision against no defeats.
“We knew coming in that they have a solid hitting lineup from top to bottom,” said Oxford coach Chris Palmer, now in his second season as head coach. “They hit the ball well in the sixth inning; there were no cheap hits in the bunch.”
Chase Mott roped a triple to centerfield to lead off, and after a strikeout to Aubrey Wood, Parker Umbra gapped a triple to leftcenter scoring Mott with the tying run. Brett Pendorf singled in Umbra with the go-ahead run, and Jarred Mertz’s double to right field tacked on insurance.
“We’ve been doing that all year,” Vibbard said. “It seems like in the big games, we have that one big inning – like we did against Unatego.”
