SECTION 4 BASEBALL: ELMIRA SCORES FOUR IN 7TH TO RALLY PAST CORNING IN SECTIONAL SEMIS (24 PHOTOS) (2022-05-21)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
CORNING — As the ball bounced in the air, there was no hesitation from Trevor Morrell as he took off from second base.

Morrell was determined to score the winning run on the passed ball as he slid home to cap a four-run seventh inning in Elmira’s 5-4 comeback win over two-time defending sectional champion Corning in the Section 4, Class AA semifinals.

“Absolutely no hesitation,” Morrell said. “I wasn’t even going to listen to coach (Jason) Manwaring what he was telling me. I was going no matter what.”

Manwaring had full belief that Morrell, who will play at Limestone next year, would make the winning play.

“He’s a baseball kid,” Manwaring said. “There is a reason he’s going to go play Division II baseball down South. He’s going to do whatever it takes to get us a win.”

Morrell knows how good of a job Corning’s catcher did all game, but as he saw the ball bounce high toward the Express dugout, he noticed that the catcher was having trouble spotting the ball.

“I knew the catcher, he had a hell of a game,” Morrell said. “He unfortunately missed one ball, and he didn’t see where the ball was so I just took advantage of it.”

From the dugout Elmira starter Bryce Mashanic was loving what the offense was doing.

“It was electric, he said. “It was probably one of the greatest atmospheres I’ve ever been a part of honestly, when the team is just so in unison.”

With the 5-4 lead the game was far from over as the teams headed to the bottom of the seventh with the top of Corning’s lineup — Aidan Chamberlin, Henry Jackson and Landen Burch coming to the plate.

Mashanic, who went the distance, throwing a two-hitter in the win, got a big out to start the inning as he induced a pop-out by Chamberlin.

“I was like, ‘wow, we could really do this,’” Mashanic said. “When I saw the ball go up in the air, I was just so happy.”

Manwaring knows how tough the Corning roster is, and that first out was huge.

“Obviously, we all knowing Corning, all right,” Manwaring said. “There are a bunch of Division I guys. They are excellent, there is a reason they have been to the sectional championship so many years in a row.

“To get him (Chamberlin), that first out was huge. I remember last year first pitch of the game he hit one half way through the tennis courts. So that was a little concerning, but it was great.”

The pop fly ended up being a bit tricker as Morrell and third baseman Jack Carozzoni ran into each other as Morrell made the catch.

“Before the game, Caz, usually hesitates in those middle balls where it’s between either one of us and I told him before the game if you can get it, you’ve got to go get it,” Morrell said. “I guess he went for it, but I just Mossed him at the end (referring to former NFL star Randy Moss making a catch). I Mossed him, I’ve been watching Diggs (Bills star Stefon Diggs).”

After Mashanic hit Jackson with a pitch, he got Burch to hit a ground ball to Morrell, who stepped on second base and threw to first for the double play to end the game.

“My coaches preached all week to hit your spots,” Mashanic said. “So, I was just focused on keeping the ball down to get a ground ball because he’s (Burch) obviously a very tough hitter to get out.”

As they headed to the bottom of the seventh Morrell had a million scenarios going through his mind, and one of the things he imagined was a double-play ball.

“I was going crazy in my mind,” Morrell said. “My mind was thinking of all these different situations that might happen. I imagined a double play right up the middle for myself and that’s what happened.”

For Morrell, there was only one thought going through his mind as he threw to first.

“I just didn’t want to throw it in the ocean, that’s all I was thinking about,” Morrell said.

The game was 1-1 through 5 1/2 innings, but in the bottom of the fifth the Hawks went to work.

Parker Castle reached on an error and Chamberlin was hit by a pitch with one out and Jackson reached on an error, scoring Castle. Chambelrin stole third and scored on a wild pitch.

Burch drew a walking stole second and Grayson Saltzer hit a sacrifice groundout to score Jackson.

In the seventh Da’mon Jackson led off with a walk. After Will Kibler made a diving catch in center for Corning to get the first out, Ben Rhode singled to put two on.

Then Tim Miller came to the plate and drove a shot to left that scored Jackson.

“Time Miller had an excellent week of batting practice,” Manwaring said. “He’s a kid that’s coming back off an ACL and UCL injury and he’s a kid that is trending in the right direction. I told him earlier, in the third inning, you know you are going to come up today and you are going to get a big hit.

“I mean, he was hitting balls out of the ball park in batting practice before we left. We just felt like in that situation he was going to do it and sure enough he came through and had a big hit.”

Down 4-2, Morrell doubled to left field scoring Rhode to cut the deficit to 4-3.

“My mind, I wasn’t even thinking I was just looking at Aidan throwing,” Morrell said. “Seeing the baseball and I don’t even remember what pitch he threw me, that’s just how crazy it was.”

As the ball got thrown into Burch at shortstop on the hit, Manwaring held up Miller at third base and didn’t try and send him.

“Brady (Morrell) is hitting over. 400 for us,” Manwaring said. “I think he has over 20 RBI. Burch had the ball at 110 feet, I’m not going to run on his arm, big-time arm. I’ll take my chances that our hitters are going to come through.”

Corning took out Chamberlin, a Navy recruit, who struck out 13 in 6 1/3 innings, and went to Burch, an Old Dominion recruit, who struck out Brady Morrell to put the Hawks one win away from a rematch in the sectional final.

With Bobby Cavalier at the plate the ball bounced free on a passed ball and that proved to be the difference in the game.

“Testament to the kids,” Manwaring said. “We played 12 games without a full team, guys batting injuries, etc. So, we came back late in the season, everybody healthy and we won like five out of our last seven games and we knew we were trending in the right direction. We were ready to come up here and play spoiler.”

While they were down, against a two-time defending sectional champion, who had beaten the Express twice during the regular season, the Express never were going to quit.

“Coach always tells us to play 21 outs, all 21 outs, no matter what and you always have got to play your hardest every out,” Morrell said. “Go in the whole way and that’s what we did, and sometimes it comes out your way.”

Manwaring knows that players like Morrell will do anything to win games.

“He’s a great kid, Trevor and them, they don’t want to lose,” Manwaring said. “He was the last one that was a part of that 2020 team that we felt could have made a big run and that’s a shoutout to those guys that we are going to play for a title that they surely deserved (to play for) back in 2020.”

Mashanic allowed two hits in the game — to Burch and Castle — and he struck out six, while walking five, allowing four runs, only one earned.

Elmira had pitchers warming up as early as the fifth inning, but Mashanic knew he was going to finish the game on the mound.

“I wasn’t going to let him pull me,” Mashanic said. “I was not, I was going to fight to stay out.”

And, after the fifth inning when Corning had its big inning, the Express ace went back to work.

“I just listened to my coach, went back to the game plan we came out to do,” Mashanic said. “I was just so happy that we compered in the last couple innings and came back and I just wanted to throw strikes and I’m glad the defense played as well as it did.”

Five players had hits for Elmira, as they had six hits in the game.

“This is a team sport, it all comes down to everybody doing their job and when everybody does their job success is usually there,” Morrell said. “You usually find success.”

Morrell had two hits, with a double, an RBI and a run scored and Miller, Rhode, Mike Palmer and Carozzoni all had hits for the Express.

Carozzoni had an RBI, Rhode scored a run and Miller had an RBI and a run scored.

Cavalier and Jackson each scored runs for Elmira in the game.

Chamberlin scored two runs for Corning and Castle and Jackson scored runs in the game.

Chamberlin struck out 13 over the 6 1/3 innings, walking four and allowing six hits. Burch got both of his two outs by strikeout.

Corning finishes the year with a 14-5 mark.

Elmira (9-9) will take on top-seeded, and STAC tournament champion Horseheads (16-4) in the best-of-three championship series. The first game is 4:30 p.m. Monday at Horseheads, with game two at Elmira on Wednesday and game three, if necessary, back at Horseheads on Friday.

“It’s really special,” Morrell said. “I have been thinking about it all year, playing in sectionals. It’s always fun playing in sectionals. I can’t wait for the championship.”

While Manwaring is excited for the Express to be in the championship, against his alma mater, the bigger thing for the Elmira coach is just spending another week with his team.

“We are just excited to get back to practice,” Manwaring said. “I told them before we got on the bus, I just want to practice more with them. They are a great group of kids. Seven sophomores, two eighth graders, they are just a great group to be around. The opportunity to go play a great group like that, I’m sure it will be exciting this week.”
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IN TOP PHOTO: Elmira’s Trevor Morrell reacts after making the final out on Friday. . . PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES