Baseball team wins sub-regional series, advances
Herkimer, NY – The Generals are on the march. They swept their first postseason series on Saturday, defeating Finger Lakes CC 11-9 and 8-1, and earning a berth in the Region 3 championship series.
HCCC ended the regular season as the #1-ranked team in Region 3's Eastern Division. Their sub-regional series pitted them against the #4-ranked team from the Western Division, the Lakers.
[Ed. Note: Postseason games are nine-inning games.]
The weather threatened on Saturday morning, and a brief late-morning shower left the field needing some additional preparation, but the Generals took good care of the ballyard, and Game One began half an hour later than originally scheduled.
The visitors jumped out to a three-run lead in the first inning, lashing two doubles and a triple.
The Generals got two runs back in their half of the second. Designated hitter Cody Newbigging drove a double into right field and scored when the next batter, third baseman Dan Smith, doubled to left. Shortstop Brent Baker brought Smith home with a single up the middle.
Photo: Carlos Almonte tags a would-be base stealer in Game One
HCCC fell farther behind when the Lakers scored with a single and a double in the third, and a sacrifice fly in the fourth. The visitors led 5-2.
The Generals' offense got into gear with two outs in the home half of the fourth. Baker got on base with an infield hit. Center fielder Hayden Caffey drove Baker home with a double to left. Herkimer's leadoff batter, right fielder AJ Fabrizio, was hit by a pitch. Ryan Watson added an infield hit. Catcher Brandon Overstreet slammed a two-run double to center, and four HCCC runs had crossed the plate. 6-5 Herkimer.
Herkimer's big right-hander Michael DeCarlo came in to pitch the fifth inning. DeCarlo was immediately successful, getting a fly out and striking out two Lakers.
Herkimer added two more in the bottom of the fifth inning with RBI-hits by Baker and Fabrizio. Watson sent a bases-loaded triple into deep left in the seventh inning to score Fabrizio and extend the lead to 11-6. (See photo at the bottom of this page.)
Photo: First baseman Ryan Watson had a big day at bat and was solid in the field
The Lakers kept battling. They added an eighth-inning run on a walk and a triple despite DeCarlo striking out three batters. Then the visitors plated two more runs in the ninth.
A walk and a Laker single opened that final inning. Then a hard hit was headed for left field when shortstop Baker dashed to his right, gloving the ball and making a tough, off-balance throw for the force at third. A line drive to center then took an odd hop and bounced over Caffey's head for a two-run triple. Herkimer reliever Rob Harvey then went to the mound and struck out the final two Finger Lakes batters. The Generals won 11-9.
Game Two
Head Coach Jason Rathbun handed Nick Burch the ball for Game Two. Burch shut out the Lakers until the fourth when they scored on an infield hit, an error, and a single.
The Generals grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Fabrizio and Watson walked. Overstreet sent a double into right-center, and Chris Burns sacrificed him home.
Photo: Nick Burch
Herkimer added two more runs in the third with good base running and a single by Dan Smith.
Burch pitched a strong game. He worked six innings, scattering eight hits. Burch allowed no earned runs, walked three and struck out nine.
Herkimer added two runs in the bottom of the fourth and one run in the bottom of the eighth to secure the 8-1 win.
The win gave the Generals a place in the regional final-four championship series that will be played at Vets Field in Little Falls beginning on Friday. The other three teams and the times will be announced in this website as soon as they are known.
Nick Scribe, website writer
Photo below: AJ Fabrizio rounds third as the Lakers retrieve Ryan Watson's triple
