Given the top seed for the Section III Class C-2 playoffs, the Bishop Grimes baseball team had no intention of surrendering that high position to anyone, but still could only last two rounds in the sectional tournament.
The Cobras’ post-season effort commenced last Thursday in the quarterfinals against no. 9 seed Sandy Creek, where a big late rally broke a close game open in a 12-3 elmination of the Comets.
Grimes jumped on Sandy Creek (who beat Mohawk 5-3 in the first round) for two runs in the bottom of the second inning and expanded on that margin with three runs in the fourth. To settle matters, the Cobras batted around in the bottom of the sixth and scored six times.
Mike Timpano went three-for-three including a double, and earned an RBI. Chris Schad drove in three runs, while Zac Cousineau managed two hits and two RBIs. Matt Allan scored twice and earned two hits as 10 different Grimes players scored runs before it was done.
All this was in support of pitcher David Campese, who piled up 15 strikeouts in a wild outing that also included six walks and five hits allowed.
In a bit of baseball irony, Grimes would host, in the C-1 semifinals on Saturday, no. 5 seed Cooperstown. The team from the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum had knocked out Port Byron 4-2 to get this far.
And the Redskins would prove more impressive at this level, knocking out the Cobras 8-2. It all turned in the third inning, when Cooperstown broke a 0-0 tie by scoring four runs off Timpano and followed it up with a three-run fourth inning.
Schad and Joe Arrigo both pitched solid relief stints, while Tom Steinberg managed two hits and an RBI, but it wasn’t enough. Cooperstown advanced to face Oriskany in the C-2 title game as the Cobras finished with a 13-6 mark.
