O-TIGERS ’05

By P.J. Harmer

Staff Writer

ONEONTA — Cory Middleton got his

Star photo by Julie Lewis Oneonta Tigers third baseman Cory Middleton throws out a runner at first during the third inning of Friday night’s game at Damaschke Field. Middleton drove in the winning run with a double in the 10th as the O-Tigers won their sixth straight, 6-5.

chance for redemption Friday.

Middleton’s two-out double in the bottom of the 10th inning scored Matt Joyce to give the Oneonta Tigers a 6-5 New York-Penn League victory over the Vermont Expos in front of 1,681 fans at Damaschke Field.

"You learn as a ballplayer if you screw up on defense, you can’t let it affect you," O-Tigers manager Tom Brookens said. "He’s been struggling a little offensively, but I think that will be a big lift for him. We need him do[an error occurred while processing this directive]wn the stretch."

Oneonta (39-23) won its sixth straight to stay three games ahead of Lowell (36-26) in the Stedler Division. Lowell beat Tri-City, 5-4.

The O-Tigers continue their series with Vermont at 7 p.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday. Dan Konecny (3-2, 5.61 ERA) is scheduled to pitch Saturday, and Matt O’Brien (4-2, 3.78 ERA) Sunday.

Joyce singled down the left-field line to lead off the 10th. He moved to second when Justin Justice grounded out to first on a hit-and-run. Jeff Larish then popped out foul to catcher Agustin German.

Middleton, who had an error in the eighth at third base that helped Vermont to two runs, capped the 10th by hitting a 2-0 pitch to deep left-center for a double.

"I know the first two pitches were sliders," said Middleton, who finished 2-for-5. "I was looking for a fastball. He hung a curve and hit it well. I thought it was out. I heard it hit something, but I’ll take the double."

Oneonta led, 5-1, entering the eighth, but relievers Tim Robertson and Loren Fraser each allowed two runs. Wilson Gibbs replaced Fraser in the ninth with a 5-3 lead, the bases loaded and one out. Gibbs blew his first save opportunity of the season after forcing in a run with a hit batter and allowing a sacrifice fly to Francisco Plasencia.

Gibbs (2-0) earned the victory, though, as he pitched a scoreless 10th.

Starter Jay Sborz allowed one run over six innings on three hits. He walked three and struck out five.

"He gave us a good outing," Brookens said. "We turned some nice double plays behind him. It should be a stepping stone for Sborz and he should be sharper. The big thing is him staying healthy."

Vermont erased the four-run deficit with two in each of the eighth and ninth innings. Mike Daniel led off the eighth with a pop up to Middleton at third. The ball came down and popped out of Middleton’s glove.

"It was high and as it came down it was tailing," Middleton said. "It hit me in the palm and flopped out."

Joyce saved the Tigers with a big defensive play in the top of the ninth, when German hit a ball into the gap between right and center. Right fielder Joyce made a full-extension dive to make the catch for the first out. Vermont scored two runs in inning after the out.

"At first, I didn’t think I had a chance," Joyce said. "It was a righty, so it will tail back. It started tailing toward me and I knew I had a chance. I laid out and snagged it."

Said Brookens: "That was a heck of a catch. I think that’s as good a catch as I’ve ever seen."

The Tigers erased a 1-0 deficit with two runs in the fifth. Schuyler Williamson had a sacrifice fly, and another run scored when Will Rhymes reached on a throwing error by Vermont third baseman Leonard Davis.

Oneonta added three in the seventh, capped by a two-run triple from Joyce. Lefty Joyce turned on a 2-2 pitch and hit it deep to right field. The ball appeared to clear the fence, but it bounced back in and Joyce ended up on third.

"(The ball) not going out turned out to be huge because we ended up in extra innings," said Joyce, who was stranded at third. "I hit it well. I don’t know how it didn’t go out."

P.J. Harmer can be reached at pharmer@thedailystar.com or 607-432-1000, ext. 229.

FRIDAY’S O-TIGERS BOX SCORE

VERMONT ÐØ Ø ONEONTA ÐØÐØÐØ Ø

ab r h bi Ø ÐØÐØØØ ab r h bi

Contrers ss 4Ø1Ø2Ø0 Rhymes 2b 5Ø1Ø2Ø1

Daniel lf 3Ø1Ø0Ø0 Joyce rf 5Ø1Ø3Ø2

Davis 3b 4Ø1Ø1Ø2 Justice cf 4Ø0Ø0Ø0

Plasencia cf 4Ø1Ø1Ø1 Larish 1b 5Ø0Ø0Ø0

Guzman rf 4Ø0Ø1Ø1 Middletn 3b 5Ø0Ø2Ø1

Amedo 1b 2Ø0Ø1Ø0 Haske dh 4Ø1Ø1Ø0

Apodaca dh 4Ø0Ø2Ø0 Robersn dh 3Ø0Ø1Ø0

German c 4Ø0Ø0Ø0 Laster dh 1Ø0Ø0Ø0

Nunez 2b 4Ø1Ø1Ø0 Timm lf 4Ø2Ø2Ø0

Williamsn c 3Ø1Ø0Ø0

Totals ÐØ 33Ø5Ø9Ø4 Totals ÐÐ 39Ø6 11 4

Vermont 0100000220 5

Oneonta 0000203001 6

E Davis (15), Middleton (14). DP Oneonta 3. LOB—Vermont 10, Oneonta 6. 2B—Plasencia (13), Nunez (5), Middleton (19). 3B Davis (5), Joyce (4). S Daniel, German, Apodaca. SF Plasencia, Williamson.

IPÐÐHÐRERÐBBÐSO

ÐVermontÐØ ÐØ ÐØ ÐØ ÐØØ ÐØÐØ

Martinez Ø62-3ØØØ7ÐØ5ÐØ4ÐØ0ÐØ3

Rodriguez Ø1-3ØØØ1ÐØ0ÐØ0ÐØ0ÐØ0

Long Ø2ØØØØ1ÐØ0ÐØ0ÐØ0ÐØ1

Lira L, 1-2 Ø2-3ØØØ2ÐØ1ÐØ1ÐØ0ÐØ0

ÐOneonta ÐØ ÐØ ÐØ ÐØ ÐØ ÐØØØ ÐØÐØ

Sborz Ø6ØØØØ3ÐØ1ÐØ1ÐØ3ÐØ5

Robertson Ø2ØØØØ4ÐØ2ÐØ1ÐØ0ÐØ1

Fraser Ø1-3ØØØØ2ÐØ2ÐØ2ÐØ1ÐØ0

Wilson W,2-0 Ø12-3ØØØ0ÐØ0ÐØ0ÐØ1ÐØ2

WP—Sborz, Wilson.

Umpires—Home, Tom Crenshaw; Second, Chris Mack.

T—2:44. A—1,681.

NY-PENN STANDINGS

ØØWØØØLØØPct.ØØØGB

Staten Island (Yanks) Ø43ØØ20ØØ.683ØØØ—Ð

Williamsprt (Pirates) Ø35ØØ28ØØ.556ÐØØ8Ð

Brooklyn (Mets) Ø34ØØ29ØØ.540ÐØØ9Ð

New Jersey (Cards) Ø31ØØ32ØØ.492ÐØ12Ð

Hudson Vlly (Dys) Ø26ØØ35ØØ.426ÐØ16Ð

Aberdeen (Orioles) Ø23ØØ39ØØ.371ÐØ19½

ØØWØØØLØØPct.ØØØGB

Auburn (Blue Jays) Ø35ØØ28ØØ.556ØØØ—Ð

Mhnng Vly (Indians) Ø30ØØ33ØØ.476ÐØØ5Ð

Jamestown (Marlins) Ø28ØØ35ØØ.444ÐØØ7Ð

Batavia (Phillies) Ø27ØØ35ØØ.435ÐØØ7½

ØØWØØØLØØPct.ØØØGB

Oneonta (Tigers) Ø39ØØ23ØØ.629ØØØ—Ð

Lowell (Red Sox) Ø36ØØ26ØØ.581ÐØØ3Ð

Tri-City (Astros) Ø30ØØ33ØØ.476ÐØØ9½

Vermont (Nationals) Ø21ØØ42ØØ.333ÐØ18½

———

Auburn 5, Mahoning Valley 0

Jamestown 4, Batavia 1

Staten Island 4, Brooklyn 0, 1st game

Brooklyn 7, Staten Island 2, 2nd game

New Jersey 7, Hudson Valley 3

Lowell 5, Tri-City 4

Oneonta 6, Vermont 5, 10 innings

Aberdeen 7, Williamsport 1

Auburn at Mahoning Valley

New Jersey at Hudson Valley

Staten Island at Brooklyn

Tri-City at Lowell

Vermont at Oneonta

Williamsport at Aberdeen

Auburn at Mahoning Valley

New Jersey at Hudson Valley

Staten Island at Brooklyn

Tri-City at Lowell

Vermont at Oneonta

Williamsport at Aberdeen