Briarcliff, Haldane fall in state finals

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STATE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT
Saturday, June 9
at Binghamton, NY

CHAMPIONSHIPS

Class A
Cornwall 9, Grand Island 7

Class B

Oneonta 2, Briarcliff 0

* CLICK HERE for video highlights from this game *

The Bears lost in the state championship game for the second year in a row despite a terrific effort from starting pitcher Paul Henshaw.

Henshaw allowed only a homer in the fourth inning to Mike Calkins and an infield single RBI in the fifth to Chris Pindar as Oneonta captured the state title at MacArthur Park in Binghamton.

Briarcliff managed just four hits off Oneonta ace Ben Moxley, who struck out two and walked none. Colin Orr had two hits for the Bears, including a two-out single to right field in the sixth inning. But Oneonta right fielder Mark Giolanzo threw out a runner at home plate to end the inning.

The Bears got a runner on in the seventh but couldn't muster a rally. Henshaw allowed eight hits and struck out one in the loss.


Class C

Lansing 5, Haldane 3

Lancing, the undefeated and top-ranked team in the state, scored all five of its runs in the first two innings and held on as Haldane rallied in the final three innings in the state final at Johnson City High School.

Two first-inning walks led to runs before two more in the second came around to score. Parkes drove in two runs, including an RBI single in the second inning to make it a 5-2 game.

Haldane (18-4) took a 1-0 lead in the first on a Stephen Zalys RBI groundout, and Chris Balducci plated a run in the second with a single.

Haldane got another run on an error in the third before stranding six runners in the final four innings. The Blue Devils had the bases loaded with two outs in the fifth but couldn't capitalize.

Class D
Coleman Catholic 2, Oriskany 0

SEMIFINALS
Class B

Briarcliff 4, Albany Academy 3

* CLICK HERE for video highlights from this game *

Spencer Kulman pitched the Bears into the state championship game for the second year in a row as Briarcliff hung on to beat Section 2 champion Albany Academy at MacArthur Park in Binghamton.

Briarcliff, which lost in last year's final, trailed 1-0 into the fourth inning before rallying back. Colin Orr drove in a run on a groundout and John Fussell made it a 2-1 game with an RBI single. Fussell later scored on a sacrifice-fly by Paul Henshaw.

In the fifth, Jackson Plimpton drove in a Ryan Huegel to make it a 4-1 game, which is where it stayed until the sixth.

Ian Bennett smacked a two-run homer in the sixth to cut the deficit to one. But Kulman settled down. He allowed a two-out base-runner in the bottom of the seventh but got the final batter to pop out to the catcher to seal it.

Kulman, who had two hits at the plate, allowed seven hits and struck out one for the victory. He's now 4-0 in the postseason with three complete games.

Briarcliff will play in the state final at 4 p.m. against either Oneonta or Wayland-Cohocton.

Class C

Haldane 6, Voorheesville 0

Dan Kinnaird pitched a five-hitter with seven strikeouts as the Blue Devils knocked off the Section 2 champions and ace right-hander Kevin Connolly at Johnson City High School on Saturday morning.

Haldane (19-3) got to Connolly, who'll pitch for Central Connecticut State, early and Kinnaird breezed the rest of the way. Matt Forlow singled and scored in the first inning as John Rotando drove in a run and scored on a Stephen Zalys sacrifice-fly.

Forlow delivered a sac-fly in the second to put Haldane ahead 3-0 before the Blue Devils broke it open in the third. Justin Kauffman reached on a wild pitch strikeout, which allowed Rotando to score from the third. Dima Spinelli later hit an RBI single, and then scored in the sixth in an Andrew Balducci single.

Connolly struck out 10 and allowed only three earned runs. But Kinnaird was just too strong for Haldane. The 6-foot-4 righty retired 11 in a row and 14 of 15 during one stretch.

The Blue Devils advanced to the state final at 4 p.m. against the winner of Lansing and Frewsburg.


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