From the Hornell Steamers, photo by JC’s Photography
The Hornell Steamers continued their opening road trip on Wednesday with a pair of games versus the two-time defending champion Cortland Crush. The Crush used a nine-run 3rd inning in the first game en route to a 12-2 victory and then earned a 6-5 win in walk-off fashion in the nightcap.
Jason Story (Utica) and Tim Burns (Maine Presque Isle) each were 2 for 3 for Hornell in the opener. Story collected a RBI single in the 1st and a RBI double in the 5th.
Matt Wessels (Iona) was the most effective pitcher. He didn’t allow a run in 2.2 innings of relief. He gave up two hits and walked one while striking out three.
Story scored on a wild pitch in the 1st inning of game two to give the Steamers an early lead. After Cortland scored twice in the bottom of the inning, Danny Melendez (Finger Lakes CC) hit a RBI double and Story followed with a two-run homer.
Cortland cut the lead to 3-2 in the 2nd and took their first lead of the game in the 5th on a single over the drawn in infield.
Luca Ciaramitaro (Siena) tied it up in the top of the 6th with a two-out RBI single up the middle. The Steamers stranded two runners in the 6th but couldn’t grab the lead. In the 7th, Hornell got a one-out single from Ryan Hill (Mercyhurst) but could not muster anything else.
Cortland used a walk, a stolen base, and Louis Percival snuck a hit down the third base line to score the winning run.
The Steamers collected 12 hits in the contest. Vince D’eusanio was 2 for 3 while DJ Stoianovich (Finger Lakes CC), Ciaramitaro, Emmanuel McClain (Hilbert), and Hill each were 2 for 4.
Logan Hoyt (Alfred State) threw the first four innings and allowed two earned runs, walked three, and struck out four.
Hornell travels to Houghton University on Thursday for their first contest vs. the Genesee Rapids. First pitch is at 7 p.m.
