AUBURN - With one swing of the bat, Bryce Leitten thwarted Moravia's chance for a sixth straight Cayuga County Baseball Tournament championship Saturday at Falcon Park.
Glenn Gaston / Special to The Citizen
Weedsport starting pitcher Josh Fatcheric delivers a pitch against Moravia in the championship game of the Cayuga County Baseball Tournament Saturday at Falcon Park in Auburn.
Weedsport starting pitcher Josh Fatcheric delivers a pitch against Moravia in the championship game of the Cayuga County Baseball Tournament Saturday at Falcon Park in Auburn.
Leitten smacked a three-run home run in the top of the sixth to propel Weedsport to the title, 12-10.
“Going into that at bat I was 0-for-7,” Leitten said. “It was a good way to break out of it I guess. I just swung the bat and let it go.”
Leitten's homer was part of a five-run inning for the Warriors, who survived the seesaw battle that saw four lead changes.
“It's nerve-wracking, but that's why you play the game - because it's fun,” said Warriors coach Nick Wilson. “They're supposed to be fun, even if you lose. Games like this - back-and-forth, 12-10 - that's why you play the game. That's why you wear the uniform.”
The Warriors had just fallen behind 9-7 after allowing four Blue Devil runs in the bottom of the fifth. “Every time they would go ahead by a little bit we'd fight back, we never gave up,” Leitten said. “They would go up by two, three, but we would always at least put up a run to stay in the game.”
Moravia (5-5) gave Weedsport (3-4) a scare in the bottom of the seventh by loading the bases with one out. But after Justin Stanton, who had a triple in the third, hit a sacrifice fly to score Jeremy Stewart, Taylor Mackey popped up to center field to end the game.
“I thought we had them on the ropes a couple of times, but they came right back. It's tough trying to battle from behind two days in a row, twelve hours apart,” said Blue Devil coach Rich Valentino, referring to Moravia's extra-innings win over Port Byron late Friday night.
The Warriors' rally started with a fielder's choice that put Adam Mlod on at first. Jordan Stott was walked and CJ Chase reached on an error that scored Mlod. Leitten, batting third in the order, stepped up and hit the ball cleanly over the left field fence to give Weedsport a 11-9 lead. The Warriors added another run when Josh Fatcheric drove home clean-up man Nick Topichak.
“They hit the ball well,” Valentino said. “They had a couple carry of the left fielder's head, doubles and triples in the gap. They got behind the ball and turned it around on us.”
It was a solid inning for Weedsport, who watched a 7-5 lead slip away in the bottom of the fifth. Joe Corson crossed the plate when Greg Pasho was walked by Fatcheric with the bases loaded, and Stanton's bases-clearing triple scored TJ Powers, Stewart and Pasho.
Fatcheric was on the mound for the first five innings for the Warriors, scattering eight hits and five walks while striking out five. Dave Pratt gave up one hit in two innings of work.
At the plate, Chase (double) led Weedsport with two hits and three RBIs, Fatcheric (double) added two hits and three RBIs and Leitten had one hit and three RBIs. Topichak (triple) and Justin Rose (double) each had two hits, while Jordan Stott, Tony Piascik (RBI) and PJ Piascik each had one.
Stanton (double, triple, four RBIs), Mackey (RBI) and Eric Youngs (RBI) each had two hits for the Blue Devils. Pasho chipped in with a hit and three RBIs, while AJ Rouse (RBI), Mike Drake and Stewart each had a hit.
Stewart started on the rubber for Moravia, giving up seven hits while striking out four and walking one. Mike Drake took the loss, fanning four batters, scattering three hits and walking two.
Dillon Langtry closed the game for the Blue Devils, giving up three hits and striking out two.
In the tournament's consolation game, Port Byron defeated Union Springs 10-0.
Weedsport (3-4) travels to Fabius-Pompey Wednesday, while Moravia hosts Marathon in a big division game Monday.
“(Marathon) is probably one of the better teams,” Valentino said. “That's going to be a battle between us and them hopefully for the division championship.”
Warriors 12
Blue Devils 10
“Going into that at bat I was 0-for-7,” Leitten said. “It was a good way to break out of it I guess. I just swung the bat and let it go.”
Leitten's homer was part of a five-run inning for the Warriors, who survived the seesaw battle that saw four lead changes.
“It's nerve-wracking, but that's why you play the game - because it's fun,” said Warriors coach Nick Wilson. “They're supposed to be fun, even if you lose. Games like this - back-and-forth, 12-10 - that's why you play the game. That's why you wear the uniform.”
The Warriors had just fallen behind 9-7 after allowing four Blue Devil runs in the bottom of the fifth. “Every time they would go ahead by a little bit we'd fight back, we never gave up,” Leitten said. “They would go up by two, three, but we would always at least put up a run to stay in the game.”
Moravia (5-5) gave Weedsport (3-4) a scare in the bottom of the seventh by loading the bases with one out. But after Justin Stanton, who had a triple in the third, hit a sacrifice fly to score Jeremy Stewart, Taylor Mackey popped up to center field to end the game.
“I thought we had them on the ropes a couple of times, but they came right back. It's tough trying to battle from behind two days in a row, twelve hours apart,” said Blue Devil coach Rich Valentino, referring to Moravia's extra-innings win over Port Byron late Friday night.
The Warriors' rally started with a fielder's choice that put Adam Mlod on at first. Jordan Stott was walked and CJ Chase reached on an error that scored Mlod. Leitten, batting third in the order, stepped up and hit the ball cleanly over the left field fence to give Weedsport a 11-9 lead. The Warriors added another run when Josh Fatcheric drove home clean-up man Nick Topichak.
“They hit the ball well,” Valentino said. “They had a couple carry of the left fielder's head, doubles and triples in the gap. They got behind the ball and turned it around on us.”
It was a solid inning for Weedsport, who watched a 7-5 lead slip away in the bottom of the fifth. Joe Corson crossed the plate when Greg Pasho was walked by Fatcheric with the bases loaded, and Stanton's bases-clearing triple scored TJ Powers, Stewart and Pasho.
Fatcheric was on the mound for the first five innings for the Warriors, scattering eight hits and five walks while striking out five. Dave Pratt gave up one hit in two innings of work.
At the plate, Chase (double) led Weedsport with two hits and three RBIs, Fatcheric (double) added two hits and three RBIs and Leitten had one hit and three RBIs. Topichak (triple) and Justin Rose (double) each had two hits, while Jordan Stott, Tony Piascik (RBI) and PJ Piascik each had one.
Stanton (double, triple, four RBIs), Mackey (RBI) and Eric Youngs (RBI) each had two hits for the Blue Devils. Pasho chipped in with a hit and three RBIs, while AJ Rouse (RBI), Mike Drake and Stewart each had a hit.
Stewart started on the rubber for Moravia, giving up seven hits while striking out four and walking one. Mike Drake took the loss, fanning four batters, scattering three hits and walking two.
Dillon Langtry closed the game for the Blue Devils, giving up three hits and striking out two.
In the tournament's consolation game, Port Byron defeated Union Springs 10-0.
Weedsport (3-4) travels to Fabius-Pompey Wednesday, while Moravia hosts Marathon in a big division game Monday.
“(Marathon) is probably one of the better teams,” Valentino said. “That's going to be a battle between us and them hopefully for the division championship.”
Warriors 12
Blue Devils 10
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