By Brian FeesSouthern Tier Sports Report
HORSEHEADS — On Thursday night the Horseheads Blue Raiders got off to a slow start, before rallying back against Corning in a game that ended tied when darkness hit.
On Friday they got off to a fast start and that proved to be the difference as they edged Corning 3-2.
After a 10-10 tie on Thursday, a game where the Blue Raiders rallied from four runs down in the seventh inning, the Blue Raiders hit two first-inning home runs on Friday to get the game off on the right foot.
Thursday’s game had to be restarted after ending in a tie, per STAC rules. With the win Friday there is now a tie for the STAC West with the two teams meeting at 11 a.m. Saturday in Corning in a tie-breaker game.
“It feels great,” Horseheads senior Megan Wolf said. “They are a great team, great coach. Hard fought last night and we came out with a win tonight.
“We changed our mentality today. We were ready to go right from the beginning. We started a little slow last night, but tonight we were ready to go from the start.”
Wolf got the fireworks going early with a solo home run to lead off the game.
“It got my energy going,” Wolf said of the blast.
Two batters laster saw Raegan Burge put the ball over the fence and it was quickly 2-0 Horseheads.
“It feels absolutely amazing,” Burge said. “We fired from the gate, we wanted that win.”
Those two quick home runs helped settle the Blue Raiders down.
“It just gives everyone the energy and the positioning going back into the field,” Burge said.
Corning got a run back in the second inning, but strong Horseheads defense helped prevent it from being more.
Emelia Smith singled for Corning and Daphne Sherman walked, before Lauren Teribury singled to load the bases.
Kayleigh Sparks then singled home Smith, leaving the bases still loaded. Keana Mann hit a ground ball, that Samantha Bonnell fielded at second and fired home to get the lead runner out.
With one out Mia Madden launched a line drive to left that looked like it was going to go for a hit, but Megan Wolf leapt at shortstop, grabbed the ball and raced to third to complete the solo double play.
“It felt amazing,” said Burge, who pitched in the game. “Having my defense back there, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them. It (the double play) just gave us the fire that we needed.”
On Thursday it was Wolf on the mound, on Saturday she was at shortstop and her defense was a big key in the game.
“Whatever we need anyone to do, anyone is willing to do,” Wolf said. “You need me at shortstop, I’ll play there, need me somewhere else, I’ll play there.”
Corning tied the game in the top of the fourth when Daphne Sherman hit a home run, but Horseheads got their third home run of the game in the bottom of the fifth as Caitlin Yearick hit a home run.
Both Yearick and Burge also homered the night before in the game that ultimately had to be restarted due to STAC rules.
“Matti is a great pitcher, and it’s awesome to be able to hit that well off her,” Yearick said.
“I have to give a lot of credit to Matti,” Burge said of how tough it is facing Johnston.
Yearick is coming off a weekend where she had five home runs at Greenlight Park recently, and the hot hitting has just continued back in league games.
“It’s been great,” she said. “It (the big weekend in Binghamton) definitely gives me a lot of confidence after that weekend. Last night I was a little in my head, but I managed to get out of it and carried it over into today.”
Earlier this season the Blue Raiders suffered their worst loss of the season to Corning, 17-5, one of only three Horseheads losses this year.
“We definitely came out last time not ourselves,” Wolf said. “We have worked and coach did a great job getting us prepared and we were ready to go right from the start today and that was the change in the game.”
Burge allowed six hits and two runs, striking out four.
Dylan Young had two hits for Horseheads and Bonnell, Wolf, Yearick and Burge all had hits, with Burge, Yearick and Wolf getting the RBI and runs with their home runs.
Corning got the home run from Sherman and Teribury, Sparks, Madden, Smith and Johnston all had hits in the game. Sparks had an RBI and Smith scored the other run.
Johnston struck out six and allowed three hits and three runs in the game.
Horseheads now heads to Corning as the two teams take the field for the third straight day against each other. Corning hosts the game Saturday after allowing the fewest number of runs in STAC play between the two state-ranked teams. Corning is ranked 7th in AAA and Horseheads is 8th in AA.
“We are all for it,” Wolf said. “We are ready to go. We are ready to fight and that’s what our team is all about this year. We have come back, we have done everything we can in our games to fight to the end.”
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES
PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME:
