SECTION 4 BASEBALL: HORSEHEADS FALLS AT VESTAL IN GAME 2 OF BEST OF 3 TITLE SERIES (21 PHOTOS) (May 28, 2026)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Southern Tier Sports Report
VESTAL — Horseheads dug themselves an early hole and, despite a late rally, couldn't climb out as they fell to Vestal during the second game of the
best of three format for the Section IV, Class AA baseball title Thursday.

With the two teams now at 1-1 Horseheads will host a winner-take-all on
Friday.

"I thought the kids did a good job today," said Horseheads coach Andy
Scott. "It was 2-0 in the first inning, then it got to 4-0, but I thought
the kids did a nice job as we got the bases loaded a couple of times but we couldn't capitalize. We started to put the pressure on a little bit, I was
happy about that. Even at the end we had guys on first and third, we're not
going to roll over and die."

The Raiders left nine on base but struggled to get that clutch hit to have
the big inning.

They spotted the Golden Bears two runs in the first as Vestal jumped out
early off some walks and defensive miscues.

Vestal would get a clutch hit in the fifth to score two more runs for the
4-0 lead.

Horseheads' next time up saw them take advantage of a couple of Vestal
errors to cut it to 4-2, but that's as close as they got.

Mason Markle started for the Raiders but only lasted one inning with Chase Meshanic seeing the lion's share of action.

He went four innings - second through the fifth - with one strikeout, one
walk, four hits, and two runs. Meshanic also had a pick-off at first base
that would save a run in the bottom of the third.

"Chase is a great kid, he's a senior, he's going to go play at Finger Lakes
Community College and they're going to get a great one because he's a hard worker in the off season, in the season, and he just did a great job,"
Scott said. "He wasn't expecting to pitch today, and he came in, and he
just did a fantastic job. I'm proud of him."

Markle went the first inning and takes the loss, striking out two with two
walks, two hits, and two runs.

AJ Sheehan pitched the sixth inning, allowing one hit.

Lyncoln Bennett (1-for-4) and Hunter Matkosky (1-for-4) scored the two runs as Dimitri Charlanow had an RBI.

Sheehan (1-for-3), Beckett Doane (1-for-3), Markle (1-for-2), and Meshanic (1-for-2) had the hits on the day.

Landon Pancoast went 5 2/3-innings to get the win for Vestal, striking out
six with two walks, four hits, and two runs.

Josh Kweller tossed the final third of the sixth inning, while Colin
Fimbres pitched the seventh to nab the save, striking out two with two
hits.

Kweller (2-for-3) had a triple with 2-RBI for the Bears as Canyon Kalina
(2-for-3) also drove in a run.

Jake Stica scored twice with Gavin Brady and Fimbres (1-for-2) also
crossing home. Parker Terrell (1-for-3) had a hit.

In the bottom of the first Stica drew a lead-off walk, went from first to
third on a pick-off throw that went awry, then scored on a passed ball to
put Vestal up 1-0.

Brady would walk just after Stica scored and would later find home on a
2-out Kalina hit for the 2-0 Bears lead.

Horseheads would look to answer in the top of the second as Doane singled followed by Markle drawing a walk to put two runners on with one out.

After a second out Meshanic reached on an infield hit to load the bases,
but Pancoast got a strikeout to get out of the jam.

In the bottom of the third Fimbres would hit a 1-out single, but the lefty
Meshanic caught him leaning at first and got the pick-off. That was big as
Kweller would triple four pitches later, a hit that would have scored
Fimbres.

Horsheads would strand Kweller at third to keep it a 2-run game.

Markle hit a 2-out double in the top of the fourth but Pancoast came up big
with another strikeout to keep the shutout.

In the top of the fifth Stica drew a lead-off walk, then two batters later
Fimbres got a base on balls to put two on for Vestal.

The two moved up on a wild pitch, setting up Kweller's 2-RBI single for a
4-0 lead.

The Raiders finally got on the scoreboard in the sixth as Bennett reached
on an error to lead off the inning.

Matkosky singled, followed by Doane reaching on an error to load the bases.

After a strikeout Charlanow drove in Bennett with a sacrifice fly that was
caught at the wall by  Kalina, who saved at least two runs with the running
catch if not three.

Matkosky would take home on a wild pitch, but Kweller got a ground out to
get out of that inning.

Sheehan led off the top of the seventh with a hit, but Fimbres got back to
back outs. Bennett would single to keep Horseheads' hopes going, but
Fimbres got a final strikeout to send the series to a deciding third game.

It'll be a quick turnaround but Scott says his team will be ready.

"We're just going to be loose and play Raider baseball," he said. "We're
going to pitch, play defense, and hopefully get some timely hits and go
from there. It comes down to seven innings, so the team that wants it the


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