Though quite young, the Corcoran baseball team remembered things well — enough to try and make a long-term run during the Section III Class AA playoffs.
Given the no. 9 seed after a 9-11 regular season that included a shaky homestretch, the Cougars found a lot of atonement in last Tuesday’s opening-round game at no. 8 Baldwinsville, knocking out the Bees by a score of 3-1.
This was the same B’ville team Corcoran had lost to earlier in the month, when pitcher Conor Nolan took the loss. Now Nolan was back on the mound, opposing B’ville’s Mike St. John with a season on the line.
For two innings, neither side could convert. But in the top of the third, Nolan belted a double, then raced home when Shawn Cregg singled. It wouldn’t be the last time they would team up.
B’ville countered in the bottom of the third, tying it 1-1 when freshman Gabe Levanti singled, then came around to score when Dan Dubiel doubled. The Bees nearly moved ahead, but Dubiel got tagged out trying to score on an unsuccessful squeeze play.
Even in a 1-1 game, St. John left in the top of the fifth, replaced by B’ville senior Bo Watson. It was a move that would backfire.
Cregg beat out an infield hit. Jamie Boronczyk walked, and another walk loaded the bases for freshman Matt Thompson. Showing poise despite his youth, Thompson belted a single up the middle, scoring Cregg and Boronczyk.
Those would prove to be the decisive runs. In the sixth, Cregg replaced Nolan, who had only allowed five hits in 5 1/3 innings. With the tying runs on base and one out, Cregg set down the Bees without allowing a run, then pitched a scoreless seventh to win it.
A huge task awaits the Cougars in Thursday’s Class AA quarterfinals as it faces top seed Liverpool. The winner gets Utica Proctor or Cicero-North Syracuse in Saturday’s semifinal round.
