Section III baseball semifinals: Four local teams move to sectional finals; Whitesboro falls
While the weather outside may have been gloomy early on, Saturday was still full of Section III baseball across the Mohawk Valley. The games in Class A scheduled for Onondaga Community College, which included undefeated Whitesboro, were postponed. However, Murnane Field still hosted four games Saturday.
Here’s what happened from Utica:
Brookfield vs Oriskany
An early start and rainy conditions didn’t stop fans from turning up to Murnane Field, and the Oriskany supports who braved the elements were rewarded with a dominant showing.
Oriskany knocked off Brookfield 8-1 Saturday morning to advance to the Class D championship for the 11th time under coach Tom Meiss.
Here are some takeaways:
Offense gets started early for Oriskany
Hitting has driven the Oriskany train all season, and that continued Saturday. It ranks near the top of Section III in major offensive categories and scored a combined 34 runs in the last three games, including 10 versus Mater Dei Academy in the quarterfinals.
Before Brookfield recorded an out in the first, Oriskany already scored a run thanks to an RBI single from Christian Grant and loaded the bases.
The Beavers managed to escape that inning only acquiescing two additional runs.
Two innings later, though, OHS hit pay dirt again. Eighth-grader Eddie Wright blasted a triple to center and drove in Ty Zizzi. The next batter, Karsten Bates, nearly bombed one over the left field wall, but it landed just short, resulting in an RBI double.
Zizzi said the urgency from the team was higher than usual due to the weather as coach Meiss warned the team the game could be suspended at any moment.
“Days like today with the weather, it can be a five-inning game, so we want to jump on them as soon as possible,” Zizzi said. “Every single guy in the dugout had energy.”
Wright shuts down Brookfield
Not only did Wright bang a triple and drive in a run, but he also excelled on the mound. Meiss handed Wright the ball for the first time in 10 days, but he didn’t seem to miss a beat. He tossed 5.1 innings and allowed one run with three hits.
It is impressive for any player to display stats like that at the plate and on the mound, but for an eighth grader such as Wright, it’s remarkable, Meiss said.
“He’s a gamer,” Meiss said. “He’s been one of our top pitchers all year, and even though I don’t think he had command of all three pitches, he gutted it out and gave us a chance to win.”
Wright said it’s not about him, it’s a team effort.
“I got a good defense behind me, and we are making plays,” he said. “It’s a great feeling pitching with a lead, you can calm down a little bit and just focus on throwing strikes.”
Anthony Kernan finished the final 1.2 innings and didn’t allow a hit.
Key stats
Besides Wright, Zizzi stood as the other main star of the game. The senior went 2-3 with three runs.
“I’ve wanted this ever since I’ve played Little League,” Zizzi said. “This has been the goal to play baseball at the highest level with my friends, and it feels awesome.”
Elsewhere, Grant and Bates each scored in two, and senior Alex Burrows pushed home another.
What’s next
Oriskany will battle Morrisville-Eaton. It played Morrisville-Eaton twice and lost on the road 10-3 but won 7-4 at home.
Even with the knowledge, Meiss said the team needs to focus on themselves.
“We got to build on the good things that we’re doing and correct some of our base running mistakes and mishaps we’ve had over the past few weeks.”
First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday from Onondaga Community College in Syracuse.
Morrisville-Eaton vs Lyme
It took Oriskany about three hours after its game ended to find out who it’ll play for a chance at the program’s seventh Section III Championship.
And that team will be the one it’s more familiar with: Morrisville-Eaton.
The Warriors defeated Lyme 7-2 Saturday afternoon to advance to the Class D championship.
It stands as the Morrisville-Eaton’s eighth win in a row and third of the playoffs. The Warriors will run into Oriskany hot, having won their past two by a combined score of 16-3.
Vernon-Verona-Sherrill vs Westhill
The most surprising team in the Mohawk Valley to make a run into the semis, Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, saw its season end in flames. VVS fell 16-1 to Westhill Saturday morning at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse.
Pitching has been a weakness for the Red Devils all season but usually their offense has helped back them up. Not on Saturday, however, as Westhill completely shut down VVS.
Westhill now faces Cazenovia at OCC for the Class B championship. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. Monday.
Adirondack vs Bishop Ludden
The only other double-digit seed besides VVS, Adirondack, took the diamond at Murnane after Morrisville-Eaton.
Unlike the Devils, the Wildcats saw their magical run continue. No. 11 Adirondack played their highest seed of the tournament, No. 10 Bishop Ludden, and handily took care, a 6-1 win.
The ‘Cats extended their domineering pitching Saturday. In the playoffs, they’ve allowed just six runs combined in three games.
Auburn vs Whitesboro
The most stunning upset of the day, by a wide margin, occurred in Syracuse, where Whitesboro witnessed its historically great season go up in flames as it suffered a 3-0 shutout loss at the hands of Auburn.
The top-seeded Warriors were undefeated heading into tonight and had thrown three no-hitters thus far.
But their bats, which had scored at least 10 runs five times this campaign, went cold eyeing down the Maroons.
Whitesboro hoped to complete a comeback after the lights turned back on after briefly going out in the seventh, but all attempts came up short, and a season filled with so much promise for the Warriors ends short of the Class A Championship.
Auburn, meanwhile, will face Cortland in the Class A final at 6 p.m. Monday at OCC. Cortland crushed CBA 9-3 Saturday.
Westmoreland vs Lafayette
The other undefeated team in the Mohawk Valley, Westmoreland, faired much better Saturday night against Lafayette. The Bulldogs rolled over the Lancers 12-3 at Murnane Field after an eight-run first inning.
Here are some takeaways:
A fast start
Westmoreland coach Paul Engelhart said he preaches quick starts for his undefeated, No. 1-seeded Bulldogs.
But even he was surprised by the squad’s first inning. Before Lafayette recorded its second out, Westmoreland already pushed home seven. An RBI triple from Caleb Miller started the damage and scored one. RBI singles from Carson Nestved and Josh Suber scored two each, and an RBI double from Mitchell Holmes scored an additional two.
When all the dust settled, Westmo controlled an 8-0 lead.
“We try to shut them down early and win the inning,” Engelhart said. “Usually, we put up a crooked number and make them play catch up the rest of the way.
Miller shines on the mound
Miller, a captain, feels like the Swiss army knife of the team. Not only is he a solid batter at the plate, but also he’s a nasty pitcher on the mound.
That revealed itself once again Saturday. The senior fired a complete game. The Lancers scored two in the second, but otherwise, struggled to produce anything substantial.
Engelhart kept him in because of his low pitch count and still intends on handing the ball to him in the section final.
Miller said he did not change his approach, even after Westmoreland got off to that blazing start.
“We’re a big hitting team, and we smoke the ball all game,” he said. “I got to keep focus on the mound and do my job. If I don’t do my job, it doesn’t happen.”
He said he experiences success on both sides due to preparation and believe in himself.
Engelhart said Miller is the epitome of the team.
“He’s a true Bulldog,” he said. “He is through and through a team leader. He’s been our captain the last two years. Best hitter, best pitcher. He puts guys on his back and carries us.”
What’s next
Like with Oriskany, Westmo will encounter a team they are familiar with in the Class C championship: Adirondack. The ‘Dogs demolished the ‘Cats at home 11-0 but endured a more challenging endeavor on the road, barely squeaking by 11-8.
Engelhart said he was ecstatic when the bracket was released, and his group placed on the other side of Adirondack.
“I knew if we faced them, it wouldn’t be until the end, so I am not surprised at all,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it. We are both CSC teams, so its fun to have a sectional final with two CSC teams.”
Miller hurled in one of its meetings, so he is acquainted with the club. That wont alter his strategy though.
“I still have to get out there and compete,” he said. “If I get complacent because I’ve already pitched against them once this year, I can’t do that.”
First pitch will be tossed from OCC at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Noah Ram is a sports reporter for the Observer-Dispatch. Email Noah Ram at nram@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Section III baseball: What happened during Saturday semifinal action
