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NTL BASEBALL: SAYRE HANDS ATHENS FIRST LOSS OF SEASON (24 PHOTOS) (2019-04-18)

Valley Sports Report
SAYRE "” Sayre scored eight runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to blow open a tie game route to a 12-2 five-inning win over previously-unbeaten Athens here Thursday afternoon in NTL baseball action on Ralph Hendershot Field at Riverfront Park.

The Redskins, who entered the contest at 2-6 on the heels of back-to-back one-run losses, took the lead in the home half of the second inning.

Freshman Brayden Horton led off the stanza with a triple to right field, and scored on an RBI groundout off the bat of senior Jon Cron.

Sophomore Jake Burgess then reached on an error that put him on second base. He advanced to third base on a groundout, and scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0.

Sayre starter James Esposito pitched out of a bases-loaded no-out jam in the second inning, thanks to a nifty 5-2-3 double play turned by junior Camden Wheeler, Horton, and Cron, but the Wildcats reached him for a run in the top of the third inning.

Senior Nate Kennedy ripped a two-out double to left field, and scored on an RBI single by senior Joe Parshall to trim the deficit to 2-1.

After the Redskins left the bases loaded in the home half of the third inning, the Wildcats tied the game in the top of the fourth.

Senior Nick Watkins led off with a single and moved to third on a double by junior Joel Maslin. Junior Brady Smith knocked in a run with a fielder's choice grounder to tie the game. Athens had a chance for more, but stranded runners at second and third.

Burgess walked to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning, and moved to second on a groundout. Junior Nic Ficarro followed with a single that advanced Burgess to third base, then sophomore Zach Moore, Wheeler, and junior Quinn Hanafin stroked consecutive RBI singles to give the Redskins a 5-2 lead.

After that, the wheels came off the cart for the Wildcats, who committed three errors - sandwiched around an RBI single by Cron - to help Sayre to five more runs and a 10-2 lead.

Esposito retired Athens in order in the top of the fifth, and Sayre ended the game via the 10-run "mercy rule" with a pair of runs in the home half of the inning.

Wheeler and Hanafin led off the inning with back-to-back singles, and Esposito advanced the runners with a groundout to second base. After an intentional walk to Horton, Cron stroked a hard two-RBI groundball single to right field to end the game.

Cron singled twice and had four RBI for the Redskins, while Hanafin and Wheeler each singled twice, scored two runs, and drove in one run, and Moore singled twice, scored one run, and knocked in one run.

Ficarro singled twice and scored one run in the win, while Horton tripled, scored two runs, and drove in two runs, Burgess scored two runs, and Esposito and freshman Mason Houseknecht each crossed the plate once.

Esposito earned the win for the Redskins, allowing two runs on eight hits, while striking out one and walking none in five innings of work.

Kennedy doubled and singled, and scored one run, and Watkins singled twice and scored one run to pace the Wildcats at the plate, while Parshall singled and drove in a run, Maslin and junior Keegan Rude each doubled, and sophomore Kyler Setzer added a single.

Sayre, now 3-6, hosts Williamson Monday, while Athens, now 8-1, travels to North Penn-Mansfield Tuesday.

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IN PHOTO 1: Sayre's James Esposito. ... PHOTOS COURTESY OF MATT PATTON.



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