Outlaws hold off Hawkeyes, 7-6

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July 10, 2012

Outlaws hold off Hawkeyes, 7-6

Greg Klein Contributing Writer The Daily Star Tue Jul 10, 2012, 11:11 AM EDT

COOPERSTOWN — Heath Holder hit his first home run for Oneonta and Cody Huff contributed a three-run double during a 10-batter, six-run fifth inning to lead the Outlaws to a 7-6 Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League victory over Cooperstown on Monday at Doubleday Field.

The Outlaws lead the Mayor’s Cup series with Cooperstown, 4-1. The teams play six more times, including Wednesday at Damaschke Field.

Leading, 7-2, after seven innings, the Outlaws’ bullpen almost gave it away, giving Cooperstown four runs on three hit batsmen, three walks, an error and a three-run double to Chris Blanton with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

“That got a little hairy there at the end,” Oneonta manager Greg Zackrison said. “Especially after Nick (Cioffi) got us out of trouble in the eighth inning, I thought he would roll it over into the ninth. It didn’t work out that way.”

Cioffi relieved Ben Mordini, who faced four batters without getting an out in the eighth inning. Mordini hit three Hawkeyes _ Coleman Barron, Jacob Hubert and Blanton _ and then walked Quinn Pippin to score Barron. Cioffi then induced Ty Morris to hit into a 3-2-3 double play, with first baseman Holder fielding a grounder in front of the base and throwing home to get the force out and then retreating to first and receiving the return throw from catcher Shane Crain to get Morris by about a step.

Cioffi then struck out Colton Beatty to end the inning.

In the ninth, however, it was Cioffi’s turn to work into trouble. He loaded the bases on two walks and an error. With two outs, and down to his final strike, Blanton hit a fly ball off the left-field wall to score three runs and bring the Hawkeyes to 7-6. Cioffi then got Pippin to fly to right to end it.

“That’s the way it has been for us,” Cooperstown manager Eric Coleman said. “I was just telling the team, one bad inning always makes the difference for us. We’re not making the adjustments, not doing the little things. It is making it too hard for us when we try to come back like we did tonight.”

Both teams got strong starting pitching. Oneonta’s David Sosebee (4-0) pitched five innings, giving up two runs on four hits. He struck out three and walked none.

“David’s got a nice curveball,” Zackrison said. “He had good movement tonight, and

See Outlaws on Page 10

he was locating his fastball very well. We took him out early because he pitched for us Friday. The way he threw tonight, we could have left him in, but we need him the rest of the season.”

Cooperstown’s Andrew Grann (1-3) faced nine batters in the opening three innings before giving up one run in the fourth inning and getting into trouble in the fifth. He left the game with no outs in the fifth inning after getting hit on his pitching arm by Logan Brown’s come-backer.

Holder led off the fifth inning with a home run to left to tie the score at 2. Zach Lucas walked and Sutton Whiting singled him to third. Whiting moved to second on a passed ball. Lucas scored on Brown’s single, a line drive off of Grann. Whiting took third on the play.

Grann tried to throw, but a welt on his right arm ended his night. David Hannon relieved and walked Orlando Rivera to load the bases. Crain hit a fielder’s choice grounder to shortstop that scored Whiting. Zac Johnson walked to load the bases again. After Clay Holcomb struck out looking, Huff’s double to center gave Oneonta a 7-2 lead.

Cooperstown took the lead in the bottom of the fourth off of Sosebee. Hubert hit a double to the right field wall and scored on Blanton’s single up the middle. Blanton took second on the throw home, and then scored on Morris’ single up the middle to give the Hawkeyes a 2-1 lead.

Oneonta’s defense turned double plays in the fifth, seventh and eighth innings, each coming with runners in scoring position.

“We’re a scrappy team,” Zackrison said. “ We’re built to win by small margins, inning by inning, game by game.”

The Outlaws (14-13) host Elmira today. Cooperstown (9-19) is at Watertown.

Oneonta 7, Cooperstown 6

Oneonta 000 160 000 _ 7 9 2

Cooperstown 000 200 013 _ 6 7 0

David Sosebee (W,4-0), Matt Schmitt (6), Ben Mordini (8), Nick Cioffi (8,S) and Shane Crain. Andrew Grann (L,1-3), David Hannon (5), Josh Ingham (7), Chris Chismar (9) and Patrick Hyde. 2B — Jacob Hubert (C), Chris Blanton (C), Cody Huff (O), HR — Heath Holder (O).