By SPENCER BATES
HORNELL — On the final day of their season, the Salamanca Lizards — a team that has struggled with consistency on the offensive end — combined with the Hornell Steamers for 28 runs in a nearly four-hour affair that ended up as a tie.
It was a marathon, not a sprint for the Lizards as they eyed the finish line to their season, having been knocked out of the playoffs with a number of games left to play. But there was no drop off in effort as they wrapped up the remainder of their schedule 3-1-1 after being eliminated from postseason contention.
And in its season finale, the epitome of the resilience that Salamanca has built its franchise upon was put on full display as they clawed their way to a draw in the fourth-highest scoring game this season in the New York Collegiate Baseball League (NYCBL).
“It was not always the prettiest form of baseball, but it’d been a lot easier to just give up and give in after they came back and took the lead in a so-called meaningless game,” Lizards assistant coach Brandon Higley said. “But it showed a lot about the makeup of our kids and their level of competitiveness, even when winning isn’t on the forefront of everyone’s mind.”
The Lizards started out the game on the back foot, conceding three runs over the first two innings, a number that, come the end of the game, would seem nearly insignificant. But luckily for the visitors on the day, momentum was about to flip without warning.
In response to the slow start, Salamanca erupted for 10 consecutive, unanswered runs. Scoring three times in the third, fourth and sixth innings apiece and once in the fifth. Connor Smith (2-for-4, 2 runs, 3 RBI, walk) and Parker Drees (2-for-6, 3 runs, 2 RBI) were responsible for two runs each in that span.
The Lizards had stormed ahead, but the Steamers were not about to roll over. Momentum, again without warning, changed hands, favoring the hosts as it was now their turn to score 10 unanswered runs.
As Hornell scored one run in the sixth, four in the seventh and five in the eighth, Salamanca had seen their formerly comfortable lead erased as they trailed 13-10.
But, like clockwork, once the Steamers had scored their 10 consecutive runs, fortunes flipped. With just three outs separating the Lizards from their season ending at the hands of a dramatic comeback, they managed to rattle off four runs to jump ahead once again, this time by just a one-run margin at 14-13.
Timothy Johnson (1-for-1, run, walk), Nate Wolf (3-for-5, 2 runs, 2 RBI, walk), Frank Kula (3-for-6, 2 runs, 2 RBI, walk) and Drees scored in that order to put Salamanca back in the driver’s seat. The latter, and most crucial run at the end of the day, was brought in by Matt Smith (3-for-5, run, 3 RBI, walk).
With as back-and-forth as the game had been up to that point, Higley noted the message in the dugout needed to be one of composure.
“It was truly just about taking it one pitch at a time,” Higley said. “That’s the message I kept relaying to all of our hitters. They listened and they battled every single pitch. I don’t think there was one time where I could say, we swung at a pitch that was just egregious or gave away an at-bat. We battled every single pitch the entire night and I’m happy with the result on offense, for sure.”
However, Salamanca’s narrow lead did not hold and Hornell managed to tie up the affair in the bottom of the ninth, sending it to an extra inning.
But, coincidentally enough, in a game that had seen at least one run in each inning of regulation, both the Lizards and Steamers were blanked in the 10th frame. The home side were the more threatening in the extra inning, getting a runner on third with two outs, but a force-out at second put a bow on the high-scoring draw.
When all was said and done, Salamanca connected for 19 hits as a team, one more than the Steamers managed. And for a team that has not had the best of luck at the plate this season, Higley noted it was great to see just about everyone get involved in the action.
“I thought we just attacked more than we had all year,” Higley said. “I think we got a lot of good pitches to hit, center cut, and we didn’t miss them. A lot of guys who haven’t had the types of years they wanted to have had amazing nights. … So, like me and (head coach) Jerico (Weitzel) have said all year, ‘as long as you find a way to get better at the end of the year, it’s been a success.’ And I think every single person on our roster got better and it showed tonight.”
For Higley, Weitzel and the entirety of the Salamanca Lizards, development and improvement is what the franchise has always been about. It is the key piece in the foundation of the program, and now with year two in the books, the coaching staff can confidently say their commitment to fostering the growth of their athletes paid dividends.
“I think it just provided a great chance to compete for every single guy,” Higley said. “Everyone got significant playing time, everyone got significant at-bats. I think it gave (the players) a great chance to compete, a great chance to get better, and I think the way we fought down the stretch is going to be a beneficial thing for the franchise going into next year, for attracting talent and showing what kind of program we are.”
The Salamanca Lizards officially wrapped up their sophomore season in the NYCBL with a 15-20-5 record, finishing in fifth place in the West Division.
AT HORNELL (10 innings)
Salamanca 003 313 004 0 R:14 H:19 E:5
Hornell 120 001 451 0 R:14 H:18 E:3
Sala: Burdon (1 SO, 0 BB), Wight (0 SO, 4 BB), Roth (1 SO, 2 BB) and Cardona
Horn: Davis (1 SO, 2 BB), Marino (4 SO, 2 BB), Walsh (0 SO, 1 BB), Ainsworth (1 SO, 0 BB), Feng (1 SO, 1 BB) and Groves
