June 8, 2024
By Steamers GG Paul Welker
Hornell was down to their final out when Braden McLin (Louisiana Christian) hit a grand slam to tie the ballgame. The Steamers scored a run in the 10th to earn the 7-6 victory over Salamanca on Friday night.
The Lizards scored three in the 3rd. Howie Stuckey hit a RBI single, Tyler Curtis collected a RBI groundout, and Andrew Hartman had a RBi groundout.
Hornell scored a pair of runs in the 4th when Elijah Nichols (Arkansas State) collected a RBI single and Finn Ellis (U of Charleston) hit a sac fly to cut it to 3-2.
Mitchell McKinney added to the lead with a RBI fielder’s choice in the 5th. They added two more runs in the 6th on a RBI groundout by Connor Booth and a RBI single by Hartman.
In the 9th, Salamanca recorded the first two outs before,Markus Brehm (Finger Lakes CC), Devin Mersmann (Alfred State), and Wyatt Argentieri (Genesee CC) collected singles to bring up McLin. McLin took the 1-0 pitch over the left field fence to tie the game up.
In the 10th, Nichols led off with a double and went to third on an error. Ellis gave Hornell their first lead with a deep sac fly to center.
McLin finished 2 for 5 with 4 RBI, Argentieri was 2 for 3, and Nichols was 2 for 4 with a RBI. Cowan Alfonso (Louisiana Christian), the fifth Steamer pitcher, struck out three in the final two innings to earn the win.
The late rally by Hornell spoiled a great start by Dylan Kinney. He allowed three hits and two runs in seven innings of work. He walked one and struck out six.
Hornell travels to Houghton on Sunday afternoon for a 2 p.m. game with the Genesee Rapids.
