AUSTIN POWERS SKINS TO CLASS D SECTION III CROWN
2012 Section III Class D Champions-Oriskany Redskins
ORISKANY BANGS ITS WAY PAST DEFENDING CHAMPS BROOKFIELD-8-2
Fred Miller-MHTS
The wait was worth it for coach Tom Meiss and his Oriskany Redskins (17-5).
After all, the Skins have waited since 2006-2007 to slam their way to another Section III baseball championship crown.
A long wait, caused by a rainy week, didn’t seem to bother Oriskany, as they came out ready to roll. You never know how a team will handle a long layoff.
After beating New York Mills 6-1, last Saturday, the Skins were scheduled to play on Tuesday, that didn’t happen.
Both teams were set to roll at Alliance Bank Stadium in Syracuse yesterday, but that one got washed away as well.
Nate Keating lets one rip. Keating had a big day at the dish for Oriskany!
That set the stage for a return trip to DeLutis Field in Rome on Saturday afternoon.
A week after Oriskany jumped out early, and never looked back, in their win over New York Mills, in the semis, it was much more of the same, as the Brookfield Beavers trailed 5-0 after Oriskany had batted just twice and eventually dropped an 8-2 decision to the high flying Redskins.
The Skins now wing their way to the Class D Region Final on Tuesday at Broome County Community College, as they get a true test in the state’s #1 ranked Class D team, Section IV champ, Hancock.
A dominating dose of starter and winner, Austin Smith, the Babe’s Macaroni Grille & Bar Player of the Game, and a more than healthy dose of a hard hitting offense, was too much for the Beavers to handle.
How dominant was Smith? How about 12K’s, just 6 hits, 2 earned runs and just two walks.
That’s a great day at the office. Smith improved to 6-3 on the season and earned his second post-season victory, having earned the playoff win against Sackets Harbor.
The Oriskany “O” was led by Nate Keating, Noah Lupini, Dan Buehler and Sam Martel who pounded previously unbeaten Brookfield starter Cody Beeching early and often to chase the ace, from the title tilt, after just 3 and 1/3 innings of work.
# 24 Jordan Price offers up some encouragement to starter Cody Beeching.
When the dust settled, Keating had gone 2-4, with 3 RBI and a run scored. Lupini drove in 2 runs and scored a pair, Dan Buehler was 3-4, drove in 2 runs and doubled. Sam Martel was 2-3 with 2 doubles, and 3 runs scored.
Beeching entered the finals with a perfect 6-0 record, so it’s no wonder coach Jamie Reilly and company headed to DeLutis a confident bunch. The pedigree and credentials were all, neatly, in order.
Brookfield began play (17-1), ranked #3 in the state, and the #1 seed in Class D.
Ready to make another long postseason run, like last year’s, that saw them claim the Section III championship and reach the New York State Final Four and, eventually, the semi-finals, before they bowed out.
The problem is, Oriskany looked like the better team from the opening inning.
The Redskins looked relaxed at the plate and jumped on Beechum before he could find his groove.
Beeching, normally sharp as a tack with his control, had a tough time of it, as he walked seven and allowed 6 hits in his time on the mound.
Walks turn in to runs, as you know, and Oriskany did not waste the chance to put the pressure on early.
Busy day on the basepaths as coach Tom Meiss greets # 15 Cody Murphy and Dan Buehler # 11.
Leadoff hitter Sam Martel, sent a message loud and clear when he doubled to center and later scored the game’s first run.
Austin Smith popped out and then the control problems hurt Beeching and the Beavers.
Noah Lupini worked out a free pass and then Nate Keating did the same to load the bases with maroon and grey.
Dan Buehler had a great at bat and with two strikes on him and two out he reached out to foul off a Beeching offering and stay alive.
The next pitch was quickly deposited in left as a 2 RBI single as Martel and Lupini scored to put Oriskany up 2-0.
Meanwhile back on the mound, Austin Smith showed Brookfield he was a man on a mission by fanning two of the first three men sent to the plate.
Austin Head grounded out to short to start the Brookfield first and then Smith blew away both Preston Reilly and Jake Cowan to set the tone for the rest of the seven inning affair.
A three run third helped leave little doubt about the outcome of this one, as eight men paraded to the plate and three more runs were scored by the visitors.
Beavers try to dig in at the dish and rally from behind.
Anthony Pickard started the rally by perfectly placing a flair single to center that no one could catch up to.
With one out the bases on balls reared their ugly head again as Sam Martel and Austin Smith walked to load the bases.
Noah Lupini gladly took one for the team, as Beeching came in tight and hit the shortstop with a pitch to chase home Pickard and pick up an RBI without swinging his stick, as Oriskany now led 3-0.
Up stepped Nate Keating, who came through in the clutch, again, lacing a 2 RBI single to center to make it 5-0 as Martell and Smith scampered home.
If you know anything about Brookfield baseball, you know the Beavers are a proud bunch. How proud?
Two runs proud in the bottom of the second, as they worked their way back into the fray, plating two runs of their own.
Catcher Zach Noble reached on an infield error and was joined on base by Austin Waner who worked out a well earned walk.
Things are looking up for the Redskins!
With two outs, Wade King crowned one, and drove in all the runs Brookfield would score on this day, as he sent a sharp single to left, scoring Price and Waner to make it 5-2, Oriskany.
Would the momentum hold? Let’s find out.
It did until the top of inning number four when Oriskany chased Cody Beeching from the game and brought on Jordan Price who closed things out for Brookfield.
Oriskany can score in many ways. The Skins can bang away or work away to score. They did the latter in inning four.
After Austin Smith lined out to center, Noah Lupini walked, stole second, moved over to third on a high throw to second and then romped home when Nate Keating, did it again, lacing an RBI single to center.
Keating scored to make it 7-2 and the Oriskany faithful started to celebrate like it was 2006 all over again.
Noah Lupini picked up another run batted in, as Oriskany wrapped up the scoring in the top of the fifth, as the Skins chanted, “hits on 3.”
Sam Martel doubled to center and later scored run number 8, on a fielders choice grounder to the right side.
Redskins jump for joy as they wrap up Section III title!
Meanwhile back on the mound. Austin Smith got stronger as the game wore on and continued to keep the Beavers off balance, and more importantly, off the DeLutis scoreboard.
After walking Cody Beeching in the bottom of the 6th Smith struck out the next three Brookfield batters to face him, Zach Noble, Austin Waner and Jordan Price to put this one in the books.
Time for the party to get started for the newly crowned Class D, Section III, Champs from Oriskany Central School.
Oriskany 8 Brookfield 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Oriskany 2 3 0 2 1 0 0 8 10 0
Brookfield 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 1
Austin Smith-Babe's Macaroni Grille & Bar Player of the Game.
Click on the logo to listen to Austin Smith
