SECTION 4 BASEBALL: BALL THROWS SHUTOUT, STRIKES OUT 13 AS BLUE RAIDERS TOP VESTAL IN GAME ONE OF SECTION FINAL SERIES (24 PHOTOS) (May 26, 2026)

BY BRIAN FEES
Southern Tier Sports Report
HORSEHEADS — Once Horseheads got one run on Tuesday night pitcher Cooper Ball knew the game was over.

“I knew the game was over as soon as we got a run,” Ball said. “I was not going  to let them score and I did everything in my possibility and it worked.”

The Blue Raiders junior had no intention of letting Vestal score, and he was dominant all night, throwing a four-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts to lead Horseheads past Vestal 1-0 in the first game of a best-of-three, Class AA Section IV Championship series.

The run came as Dmitri Charlanow hit a two-out single in the bottom of the fourth to score Hunter Matkosky for the only run of the game. 

Getting the first game was big for the Blue Raiders.

“It feels great,” Ball said. “I think we have a lot of confidence going into the next one.”

Every time Vestal got a runner on Ball was able to get a big pitch to get out of it. 

Each of the last four innings Vestal had a runner on second base. 

For Ball he knew he had to come up big in those moments.

“I had to lock in when I needed it,” Ball said. “I trust my defense. I have so much confidence in them. If they put the ball in play, I have confidence in them.”

In the fourth they got a leadoff walk, but Ball struck out the next two batters and got a flout to end the inning. 

In the fifth Vestal got a lead-off single A sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second, but Ball got back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat. 

In the sixth the Golden Bears got a one-out double, but Ball got a groundout and a strikeout to end the threat. The strikeout led to some emotion from Ball as he leapt in the air, pumping his fists.

“There are a lot of emotions coming into this game,” Ball said. “I think we are all so confident.”

Vestal got a one-out double in the seventh, before Ball got a strikeout and a ground out to end the game. 

As one of the returners from last year’s state championship team Ball knew he had to step up on Tuesday.

“It definitely helps from last year being in these hard positions, so I think I’m well prepared from last year,” Ball said. 

It’s a little different for Ball pitching the first game of the series this year. 

“It is different, last year I pitched game three, a little different mentality pitching game one,” Ball said. 

And, Ball knew throwing game one gave him a chance to set the tone for the series. 

“If I don’t set the tone there I think we’d be down 0-1,” Ball said. “I’m glad we won, because I think we have so much confidence right now.”

There were just six hits between the two teams. Along with the Charlanow hit, the Blue Raiders got a hit from Ball. 

Parker Terrell threw a two-hitter for Vestal, allowing an unearned run and striking out four. 

The Blue Raiders are at Vestal at 5 p.m. Thursday. 
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES

PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME:

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