IAC BASEBALL: UNION SPRINGS WALKS AWAY FROM TIOGA IN SMALL SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (May 15, 2026)

By TIM TAYLOR
Valley Sports Report
WATKINS GLEN — Tioga battled Union Springs evenly for three innings before fading in a 10-2 loss in the IAC Small School championship game here Friday.

A dozen walks and four Tioga errors played into the Wolves’ favor as they successfully defended their conference title.

“We had four errors and a bunch of walks and I just told the guys, it seems like everybody that walked ended up scoring,” coach Kevin Evanek said. “We only had a couple passed balls, but it seemed like they were all crucial ones too. It's a good team, and you’ve got to minimize your mistakes when you're playing a team like that.”

With the game deadlocked at two, Union Springs took advantage of three walks and an error to grab a 5-2 lead in the the top of the fourth inning, then the Wolves would extend their advantage to 8-2 in the fifth with four walks, a home run and a single.

With one away in the fourth, Mark Sochan and Logan Peed drew consecutive walks and moved up on a passed ball. Sochan would score on a ground out by Sam Intres to put Union Springs ahead to stay.

Following a base on balls to Asa Brown, Ethan Keim reached on an error following a ground ball, allowing Peed and Brown to cross the plate and push the lead to 5-2.

In the fifth, Alex Smith was issued a base on balls to start things off and Lucas Witter belted one over the left field fence to make it a 7-2 game.

The Wolves weren’t finished, however, as Charlie Parker singled with one down and moved to second on an error. Sochan would pick up another walk, then Peed and Intres would walk to push Parker across the plate and give Union Springs a six-run cushion.

The Wolves tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the seventh after Peed singles and Kevin Kinnaman followed with a home run to left.

Union Springs opened the game by wrapping a pair of walks around an out, but the Tigers escaped without yielding a run.

Cooper Dember singled with two gone in the bottom of the inning, but was unable to advance.

Dember retired the side in the second, then, with two out in the home half of the inning, Brayden Lounsbury reached on an error and Jacob Guiles drew a base on balls, but they were left on base.

The Wolves found their way onto the scoreboard in the third with a walk to Intres, an error on Brown’s bunt, and walks to Keim and Smith, scoring Intres. Keim would make it 2-0 when he raced home following a Brendan Clark-to-Powell-to-Max Paugh 5-2-3 double play.

Tioga responded in its half of the inning to tie the score. Josh Rought was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on an Anthony Powell single and scored on Dember’s ground ball single. The second run came after Paugh walked, and Cam Ross and Jaxon Bidwell hit into fielder’s choices to plate Dember.

“We had a good effort tonight,” Evanek said. “I mean, it is what it is, right? The guys are working hard. We're getting there. Sectionals are next week, and that's what matters.”

The Tigers left nine runners on base. Dember singled in the first, Lounsbury reached on an error and Guiles walked in the second, Ross hit into a fielder’s choice the third, Rought smacked a double in the fourth, Ross singled and Liam Mullen walked in the fifth, and Clark walked and Powell singled in the sixth.

Both teams finished the game with six hits. Dember was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI; and Powell went 2-for-4. Rought had a hit and a run, Bidwell added an RBI, and Ross tacked on a hit.

Wolves pitchers struck out nine and walked two while Tioga pitchers struck out four and walked 12.

“We're doing good things,” said Evanek. “Coop was pitching really well and he got about 90-some pitches, and I made the change, and they hit the ball. Give them credit. They are a good team. Hats off to them. Congratulations for winning this IAC championship and we'll see what happens in sectionals. Maybe we'll see them again.”

Union Springs, ranked 11th among the state’s Class C teams, improves to 14-3 while Tioga slips to 7-8. Both teams await the Section IV seedings, which will be announced Saturday. The tournament begins Wednesday.

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IN PHOTO 1: Josh Rought. IN TOP PHOTO: Cam Ross. … PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.

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