Norwich won their second straight PONY League championship after a crazy two-day rain delay game. Members of Norwich’s championship team are (in no particular order) Torin Lawerence, Keegan Franklin, Trey Bates, Mike Hagen, Kaden Collins, Drew Brooks, Gabe Blenis, Jacob Call, Logan Ford, Kameron Marshall, Isaac Bennett, Evan Sylstra, Nolan Dodzweit and Kaleb Turner. Coaches this season were head coach Greg Bates and assistants Don Hagen and Mike Ford. (Submitted Photo)
SIDNEY – Tied 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth inning on Tuesday at Double Day Field in Cooperstown, the PONY league championship game between Norwich and Greene was suspend due to a cascading downpour of rain and lighting brought by the thunderstorms in the area.
Norwich, the home team on the scoreboard, left the game with the bases loaded and two out against them. Kolby Finch, Greene’s ace on the mound, needed just the one out when he returned to the hill Thursday when play resumed for the title game.
While the location changed to Sidney, Norwich’s high-powered offensive inning did not as Isaac Bennett picked up where his team left off.
Bennett hit a hard ground ball to the third baseman and as a result, the ball got stuck in the glove of the Greene fielder, allowing him to reach first safely while Nolan Dodzweit – the go-ahead runner – crossed home plate to give Norwich a 5-4 lead.
The next pitch came from relief pitcher Trent Rapp for the Trojans. Norwich’s Torin Lawerence ripped the ball into center, scoring two more in the frame to give the home team the 7-4 score.
Norwich scored their insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when Dodzweit hit a sacrifice fly into center field, scoring Mike Hagen to take the 8-4 lead.
Greene put together a small rally in the top of the seventh, with a lead-off walk by Finch that was followed up by a Danny Arnold double to give the Trojans two runners with no outs.
After Norwich’s pitcher Keegan Franklin picked up the first out of the inning by a strikeout, his sixth of the game, Travis Lester knocked a grounder into right field to score Finch from third.
With just one out against them, Greene looked to continue their rally but Norwich’s Franklin was able to get a fly out and ground out to end the game and give Norwich their second straight PONY League championship.
The Trojans held the lead on Tuesday in Cooperstown, scoring a run in the first inning and adding three in top of the third. Norwich was able to get four back in the bottom of the fourth and fifth frames before play was suspended.
Greene ended the contest with five different players picking up a hit to total five hits for the game. Norwich tallied 10 and were led by Hagen, who finished the game going 3-for-4 at the plate – one of which was an extra base hit. Trey Bates ended with a multi-hit game as well, recording two in the win.
