Valley Sports ReportWAVERLY — Senior Ronin Ault drove in five runs, and senior Porter Daddona pitched five strong innings to lead Central Division champion Waverly to a 9-6 win over Oneonta here Thursday afternoon in STAC baseball action.
Oneonta lit up the scoreboard first with a run in the top of the third inning, but the Wolverines answered in the home half of the inning with a three-run home run to left field by Ault.
Waverly added to its lead in the fourth inning on an RBI double by sophomore Sammy Cheresnowsky and a sacrifice fly by senior Hogan Shaw to extend the lead to 5-1.
Daddona allowed just two hits through the first five innings, and retired eight in a row heading into the sixth inning.
In the sixth inning, the Yellowjackets took advantage of a one-out infield throwing error to plate three runs and close the gap to 5-4.
Sophomore Jack Pipher relieved with two outs and runners on first and second, and retired the only batter he faced on a long fly ball to Hogan Shaw in center field.
The momentum shifted back to Waverly almost immediately when freshman Axel Murray slammed the first pitch in the home half of the sixth to the center-field fence for a triple.
After senior Daltton Davis walked, Cheresnowsky plated a run with a sacrifice fly to make it 6-4.
A single by Hogan Shaw and a walk to Pipher loaded the bases, and Ault delivered a pair of runs with a two-RBI line-drive single into centerfield to extend the lead to 8-4. Pipher scored from first on an outfield error on Ault's hit to make it 9-4.
Oneonta scored twice in the top of the seventh inning, and had the tying run at the plate, but Pipher induced a ground ball to first baseman Matthias Welles to end the game.
Daddona allowed four runs — one earned — on four hits, with five strikeouts and one walk in 5 1/3 innings to earn the win.
Pipher allowed two runs — one earned — on three hits, while striking out one to earn the save.
Ault had three hits, including a home run, one run scored, and five RBI to pace Waverly's 10-hit attack, while Cheresnowsky doubled and singled, scored one run, and drove in two runs, and junior Ben Shaw singled twice and scored one run.
Hogan Shaw singled, scored two runs, and drove in one run in the win, while Murray tripled and scored one run, Welles added a single, Davis scored two runs, and Pipher crossed the plate once.
Waverly, now 13-1, returns to action Friday at Owego.
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IN PHOTO 1: Waverly's Porter Daddona. IN TOP PHOTO: Waverly's Ronin Ault. ... PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.
