NTL BASEBALL: ATHENS, WELLSBORO SPLIT ONE-RUN DECISIONS IN TWINBILL (24 PHOTOS) (2024-04-26)
Valley Sports ReportWELLSBORO — Athens and Wellsboro split a pair of hard-fought one-run decisions here Friday afternoon in an NTL Large School Division baseball doubleheader.
Wellsboro won the opener, 5-4, and Athens flipped the script with a 5-4 win in the nightcap.
“With the exception of one inning, we played good baseball today,” said Athens coach Charlie Havens. “Connor (Mosher), Nick (Jacob), Troy (Rosenbloom), and (Connor) Davidson really pitched well.
“We had a couple guys break out a bit today,” he noted. “Im sure it’s a bit of a weight off their shoulders.
“It felt good to get a win again — felt like a huge relief,” added Havens. “Hopefully, we can build off that and get moving forward.”
First Game
Wellsboro 5, Athens 4Wellsboro built a 5-0 lead after five innings, and held on for a 5-4 win in the opening game of the twinbill Friday.
Trailing 5-0, Athens plated three runs in the top of the sixth inning.
Freshman Duncan Thetga led off with a single, and an error and a base on balls loaded the base. Sophomore Nick Grazul knocked home the first run with an RBI single, and senior Nicholas Jacob plated the next with an RBI fielder’s choice to make it 5-2.
Athens’ final run in the rally came on a steal of home by sophomore Eli Chapman to close the gap to 5-3.
In the top of the seventh, the Wildcats scored a run on an RBI groundout by Thetga, and had the tying run at third base when the final out was recorded.
Thetga singled, scored one run, and drove in one run, freshman Connor Davidson singled and scored one run, and Grazul singled and knocked in one run to pace Athens’ five-hit attack, while sophomore Cooper Robinson, and freshman Brenden Cooke each added a single, Jacob had one RBI, and junior Troy Rosenbloom, and Chapman crossed the plate once.
Mosher was tagged with a tough-luck loss, allowing five runs — one earned — on seven hits, while striking out seven and walking three in 4 1/3 innings. Rosenbloom finished off the game with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, striking out three and walking one.
Second Game
Athens 5, Wellsboro 4Athens scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh on back-to-back RBI singles to walk off with a 5-4 win over Wellsboro in the nightcap of the twinbill Friday.
The Hornets, playing as the visiting team, opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning, but the Wildcats answered with three runs in the home half of the inning.
With one out, junior Troy Rosenbloom belted a double, and scored on a hard groundball RBI single into left field by sophomore Nick Grazul.
After a double by senior Nicholas Jacob, and a walk to senior Connor Mosher loaded the bases, one run scored on an RBI groundout off the bat of freshman Brenden Cooke, and another run scored on an error on the play to make it 3-1.
Neither team managed another run until Wellsboro scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 3-3.
The Hornets scored again in the top of the seventh inning on a pair of two-out errors to take a 5-4 lead, setting the stage for the Wildcat comeback in the home half.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Davidson stroked a single to right field, and Rosenbloom worked a walk to put runners at first and second.
Grazul tied the game at 4-4 with an RBI single up the middle, and Jacob followed with a walk-off RBI single into left field.
Grazul had three hits, one run scored, and one RBI, while Jacob doubled and singled, scored one run, and drove in one run, and Davidson singled twice and scored one run to pace Athens’ eight-hit attack.
Rosenbloom doubled and scored two runs in the win, and Cooke had one RBI.
Grazul pitched 6 2/3 innings in the start for the Wildcats, allowing four runs — none earned — on four hits, while striking out eight and walking one.
Davidson earned the win, walking two in one-third of an inning of relief.
Athens, now 5-7, travels to the Rochester-area Saturday to take on Fairport.
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IN PHOTO 1: Athens sophomore Nick Grazul. … PHOTOS BY LANCE LARCOM.
