HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL: TERWILLIGER DOMINATES AS CORNING WINS SECTIONAL TITLE (24 PHOTOS) (2024-05-24)

Southern Tier Sports Report
ELMIRA — On Thursday the Corning Hawks were one out away from a sectional championship when the Elmira Express came back to force a deciding third game in the best of three series.

It can be hard after something like that to come back the next day and put the loss behind you, but that’s exactly what the Corning Hawks did, as they beat Elmira 3-0 on Friday to win the sectional title.

“You have to move on,” Corning coach Eric Kizis said. “So, we did and the kids were ready. I told them to go home and get a good night’s sleep and we’ll start over. That’s all you can dow with high school kids.

“Life’s not perfect and that’s literally how we move our season. Everyday’s a new day, we start over and we have a plan. This group of kids, they stick to the plan, they trust the coaching, they trust what you tell them and man they’ve had a great season.”

They say in baseball you are only as good as the next day’s starting pitcher, and on Friday that was very, very good as Nolan Terwilliger hurled a two-hit shutout, striking out 10. It was Terwilliger’s second win in the best of three series, as he also pitched the Hawks to the game one win.

“My dad has always told me, ‘it’s just a game, would you rather be at school or playing baseball?’ Terwilliger said. “I love baseball so there is nowhere else I would rather be. I couldn’t do it without all of them. They’ve been supporting me everyday. They’re always there.”

The game was scoreless through two innings, before Corning got on the board in the third inning.

In the third innings Gavin Walker hit a one-out single and stole second and scored on a ground ball and an error off the bat of Cameron Kennedy. Kennedy scored on a Connor Monroe double.

“It feels amazing, especially with this team I’m surrounded by,” Walker said. “Yesterday was a tough loss, but we used it as motivation and it helped us get the win tonight.”

Elmira tacked on a run in the sixth as Monroe doubled and scored on a Larsen Burch RBI single.

The Express only had one runner reach second base in the game, and Terwilliger worked out of trouble. In the second inning with two outs Aiden Palmer singled and Jack Stemerman was hit by a pitch, but Terwilliger got a strikeout to end the threat.

Elmira only had three other base runners all game.

In the fourth Mike Palmer was hit by a pitch with one out, but Terwilliger got back-to-back outs to end the inning.

Quinn Hanrahan drew a two-out walk in the fifth, before Terwilliger go a line out to end the inning.

Bobby Cavalier led off the sixth with a single, but Corning catcher Jake Powers threw him out trying to steal second.

Monroe was 3-for-3 to lead Elmira, with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored and Ryan Price hit a double.

Walker and Burch had hits, with Burch driving in a run and Walker scoring a run. Kennedy scored a run in the game.

Cavalier and Palmer had the two hits for Elmira.

Logan Demember worked 5 2/3 innings, striking out four and allowing six hits and three runs, just one earned. Quinn Hanrahan got one out without allowing any hits or runs and Bryce Mashanic pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts.
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PHOTOS 1-23 BY STEVE EDGERLY. . . . PHOTO 24 COURTESY OF KARINA NORMAN/WENY TV.


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