By BOB TROUT
The Arkport-Canaseraga and Avoca-Prattsburgh baseball teams have played five times in the past two seasons.
And one more might not be for the faint of heart, or for coaches Nick Smith and Dennie Miles.
The two Section V Class D1 opponents have won 16 games this year combined and they have played a 1-0 game and the biggest score was 4-3.
In the five games, the last two seasons, they were all decided by one run. A-P is holding a 3-2 series lead and total runs are 9-8.
With rain in the forecast on Friday, the two teams moved their game up to Thursday and another instant classic.
Seniors Jamel Crowder from A-P and Logan Hoyt from A-C battled on the mound and against each other.
A-P improved to 11-2 on the season with a nail-biter of a 2-1 win.
When Crowder was close to the pitch limit, A-P brought in junior Chris Abbott who struck out a runner with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth. In the seventh, Abbott struck out the last batter of the game with the tying run on second.
His cousin, Haden Abbott, stole the show.
Literally.
Haden Abbott, a senior, singled in the fifth inning with the game tied, 1-1 and alertly stole home after a strikeout and throw to first. He was under the tag to give A-P (11-2) the lead.
Crowder went 5.1 innings with 9 strikeouts and gave up two hits for the win.
The first run for A-P came in the third when James Forte reached on a fielder’s choice then Collin Hammond Walked. Dan Stilson lined a single and Forte sped around the bases with two outs and slid home for a 1-0 lead.
In the fifth, Taven Lavetsky singled and scored after Richard Flaitz and Jacob Bacon reached. But Crowder got a strikeout with runners on second and third to end the inning and keep the game tied at 1-1.
Both teams had just five total hits. Crowder had the other A-P hit.
Logan Hoyt struck out 7 in 5.1 innings for Arkport-Canaseraga while Micah Marvin struck out one to finish the sixth.
Bacon and Tyler Lavetsky (run) had hits for Arkport-Canaseraga.
Arkport-Canaseraga now has a possible Section V finals preview game on Saturday in Fillmore with the defending Section V Class D1 champion Fillmore Eagles.
