By TIM TAYLORValley Sports Report
TIOGA CENTER — A late-inning struggle proved costly as the Tioga baseball team fell to Delhi, 14-1, in six innings in the Section IV Class C opening round here Wednesday.
The Tigers entered the top of the sixth trailing, 3-1, but the Bulldogs took advantage of five singles, six walks, a hit batter and two errors, erupting for 11 runs to seize the victory.
“We had a really bad inning,” coach Kevin Evanek said. “To their credit, they did a really nice job of putting the bat on the ball. They were just throwing the bat out there and they had some hits that fell in there, and we had trouble making some plays. One inning's going to get you every time. It was a really competitive game up until then.”
Delhi started off with a walk by Lucas Nealis, a base hit from Ayden Dix and error on a bunt to load the bases. Bryce Livengood drew a base on balls to start the scoring, then Jeremy MacNeill plated two runs with a hit to center. Andrew Nichols drove in a run on a ground out to first, Brantley Komosinski followed with an RBI single to left, Teddy Kelsh added a single while Cael Townsend and Nealis walked, the latter bringing in another run, making it a 9-1 game.
Cooper Dember picked up a strikeout in relief, but an error off the bat of Carson Pashley scored a run and a bases-loaded single by Livengood followed by another error cleared the bags, giving Delhi a 13-1 cushion.
After MacNeill was hit by a pitch, Livengood scored on a passed ball to make it 14-1.
Nealis, who had been tough on the mound the entire game, walked Rought to begin the home half of the sixth, then caught a pop-up. Kelsh and Dix turned a 6-3 double play to end the game.
The Bulldogs never trailed, scoring twice in the opening stanza. They loaded the baes before an out was recorded, then scored on a walk and a passed ball.
The Tigers would get a run back in its half of the first on a Dember single and Paugh’s two-out single to right with Dember reaching home on an error by the right fielder.
Tioga starting pitcher Cam Ross would find his groove, retiring 13 of the next 14 batters through the fifth inning. That stretch included 10 in a row, including four by strikeout. He scattered six hits and five walks through 5 ⅓ innings and struck out six. Five of the 11 runs scored off Ross were unearned.
“Cam did a really nice job starting out and pitched some great innings, and kept us in it, but the bottom line is we only had three hits today anyway,” Evanek said.
Delhi’s other run came on a ground out in the fifth following a pair of errors.
Rought had a single in the third and Dember took one for the team in the fourth, but neither was able to advance past second base.
Dember was 1-for-2 with a run, Rought was 1-for-2 with a walk, and Paugh was 1-for-2.
Kelsh was the only player on either team to record multiple hits, collecting two. He, Townsend, Nealis, Pashley and Livengood scored two runs apiece.
Nealis tossed a 3-hitter, striking out nine and walking one.
“He's very good,” Evanek said. “He was on the mark most of the time. He worked fast. He got in a rhythm and he was difficult to deal with.”
Although the season ended sooner than hoped, Tioga still managed to finish its regular season with a 7-7 record and a division title with “a very young team,” Evanek noted.
“I'm proud of these guys,” he said. “We've got seven sophomores and a freshman. They all either start or get tons of playing time, and only one senior graduating, Max, and he did a nice job with us as a leader.
“We’ve got a bright future. I’m looking forward to coaching these guys. They're a lot of fun. I just told them that in our little huddle there,
“We had a tough injury with Josh at the beginning of the year, pitching-wise, but we battled back, and back to .500 and won our division. There's some positives, a lot of good stuff, and it's a good group. Looking forward to coaching these guys down the road.” Tioga finishes the season 7-9 overall while Delhi improves to 7-10. The Tigers suffered five losses to state-ranked teams while the Bulldogs had four.
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IN PHOTO 1: Cooper Dember. IN TOP PHOTO: Jaxon Bidwell. … PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.
