CHENANGO COUNTY – Two weeks have gone by in the Otsenango Pony League. Each team has now played three games in the young season and only two teams remain undefeated in the league. Both Unadilla Valley and Norwich hold a perfect mark on their record.
Week 1
Unadilla Valley 12, Sherburne-Earlville 6
Sherburne-Earlville started the scoring in the first inning when Brett Bates doubled on a 1-0 count, scoring one run. The Marauders added two more runs in the top half of the inning to take a 3-0 lead.
Unadilla Valley answered in the bottom half of the frame, closing the deficit down to one. In the second inning, once again down by two runs, Cameron Osborne singled on a 0-1 count, sending Dalton Proskine home.
In the third, Owen Hill singled on the first pitch of his at-bat, scoring Dominick Hartwell from first. Two batters later, Timmy Postma hit a RBI double on the first pitch with Hill coming across home plate for the second tally of the inning.
Postma scored later in the inning on a passed ball, tying the game at 5-5 as Gavin Bonczkowski was up to bat. On the next pitch, Bonczkowski sent a hard ground ball up the middle to center field. Unable to make a clean play on the ball, UV’s D Proskine scored, giving Unadilla Valley their first lead of the game.
UV held onto the same lead for the remainder of the contest despite Sherburne-Earlville’s two-out rally in the top of the fourth. The first two batters of the inning hit ground balls outs, putting S-E into a tough spot early in the frame.
However, Carver Pinney reached on an error. Pinney then advanced to second base on a passed ball. His teammate Bates sent a screaming line drive to center field, placing runners at the corners for Sherburne-Earlville.
An error by the Unadilla Valley defense brought Pinney across home for another run by the Marauders.
S-E’s rally ended with a ground-out on the next play. The run in the top of the fourth was the finale run scored by Sherburne-Earlville for the game as Unadilla Valley went on to add another five runs, winning 12-6.
Hartwell led things off on the hill for UV, surrendering just six runs on five hits over five innings of work. He struck out four S-E batter.
Troy Fleming was called on to start the game on the pitcher’s mound for Sherburne-Earlville. He lasted two and two-thirds innings, allowing seven hits and seven runs while striking out seven. Nick McDaniel and Preston Eaves entered the game in relief, finishing out the rest of the game.
Osborne went 4-for-4 with two RBIs to lead Unadilla Valley offensively. Postma also had a strong showing for UV, ending the day with three hits in four plate appearances. Bates led Sherburne-Earlville with two hits in three at-bats.
Unadilla Valley 12, Sherburne-Earlville 6
S-E 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 – 6 5 6
UV 2 1 4 2 1 2 x – 12 12 6
Norwich 10, Edmeston 2
Norwich recorded 13 hits against the visiting team from Edmeston on June 8. The Tornado offense led the home team to a 10-2 victory of Edmeston.
In their first at-bats, the home team opened up a 4-0 lead as Norwich batted through the order. Four of the first five batters hit for singles in their first trip to plate for the contest.
Norwich added one more run in the bottom of the second inning and one in the third before tallying four in the fourth inning.
Edmeston scored a run in the the third and fifth innings for their two posted on the score board.
Nolan Dodzweit lead the Norwich offense with three hits with three RBIs. Brothers Tyler Hagen and Mike Hagen each recorded two hits and were joined by Josh Willis and Evan Sylstra for the same hit total.
On the mound, Torin Lawerence and Willis struck out seven batters each and allowed Edmeston just four hits combined.
Norwich 10, Edmeston 2
Edmeston 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 – 2 4 0
Norwich 4 1 1 4 0 0 x – 10 13 5
Greene 4, Mount Markham 1
Kolby Finch pitched a gem against Mount Markham, earning Greene’s first game of the season. Finch dealt nine strikeouts to his opponents, picking up the 4-1 win over Mount Markham on June 8.
The Trojans scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth when Tyler Brown scored, tying the game at 1-1.
One inning later, Greene added three runs for the win. The 3-4-5 hitters scored following hits and a walk.
In the seventh, Dallas Roe was in on the mound. Roe struck out the three batters of the frame, ending the game for the Trojans.
Greene 4, Mount Markham 1
MM 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 – 1 1 2
Greene 0 0 0 0 1 3 x – 4 2 0
Week 2
Unadilla Valley 12, Edmeston 2
A big fifth inning boost allowed Unadilla Valley to pick up their second win of the season, defeating Edmeston 12-2 on the road Monday, June 11.
UV got on the board in the first inning when Timmy Postma doubled, scoring two runs. The visiting team added another run to the scoreboard, giving the game a 3-0 tally.
Edmeston answered in the bottom of the second when Ronnie Hickling came across the plate on passed ball. One batter later, Osa Pylinski grounded into a fielder’s choice for the second out of the inning. His teammate JJ Benjamin was able to score on the play, closing the UV lead down to one run.
However, in the third, UV took the lead back as they scored another two runs. They sealed the deal for the win in the fifth inning when they put seven on the board.
With Unadilla Valley leading 12-2, Edmeston faced their final at-bats if unable to score a run.
Atticus Savage led the inning off with a walk. Colin Grant struck out the next batter but gave up a single to Kyle Ough.
A ground ball and a strikeout by Grant ending the frame with no runs scored, giving UV the win in five innings.
Cameron Osborne started the game on the mound, lasting four innings. He allowed just two hits and two runs while striking out seven and walking one.
Ronnie Hickling took the loss for Edmeston. He was on the hill for four and a third innings, surrendering six hits and striking out three.
