Southern Tier Sports ReportROCHESTER — The Horseheads baseball team is headed back to the state final four after a 4-0 win over Hamburg at ESL on Saturday night in the Class AA regional final.
Mason Markle went the distance to get the win for Horseheads against the Section 5/6 champion. He struck out 10 and walked zero, while allowing five hits.
Markle and Cooper Ball each had two hits for the Blue Raiders in the game and AJ Sheehan, Kegan Monahan, Lyncoln Bennett, Hunter Matkosky and Beckett Doane all had hits for Horseheads.
Sheehan, Bennett, Matkosky and Chase Mashanic scored runs and Monahan and Markle had RBI.
Monahan double in Sheehan and Mashanic in the third inning to make it a 2-0 Horseheads lead.
An inning later Matkosky singled and Doane doubled and Markle had an RBI single to make it 3-0.
Bennett had a single in the sixth inning and after a Matkosky sacrifice, Markle had another RBI single.
Horseheads is 19-7 on the year, and Hamburg finishes the year at 22-3.
“This team has done a great job all year of working hard to get better each day,” Horseheads coach Andy Scott said. “Pitching and defense carried us through sectional and the last two games we have knocked out 15 hits combined.
“The last three games have been enormous win and advance games and our pitching and defensive have thrown three straight shutouts.”
Scott knows that this is a great group that has been carrying on the Horseheads baseball tradition.
“I’m really proud of how focused these guys are,” Scott said. “They come to practice every day with energy and the will and want to get better. Credit to my staff also for preparing and putting kids in positions to be successful. I’m fortunate to have great kids and coaches around each day.
“I’m happy that the program coach (Jeff) Limoncelli built the last three decades is still going strong. Last year state champions and this year back to the final four. First back to back final four appearances for Horseheads. Excited we get to play more baseball with this group of players and coaches.”
Horseheads plays in the state semifinals at 4 p.m. on June 12 at Mirabito Stadium against Section 3 champion West Genesee, who beat Bethlehem 1-0 on Friday..
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