Archive: Sports

Valesente Diamond at Freeman field has been quiet for a few weeks now with the Bombers outstanding season coming to a close.  The top two Quad County teams changed that when they came together, on the last day in July, for the battle of the big cats in the Quad County, Babe Ruth 2013 Championship game.  Lansing grappled a hard fought 6 – 1 win from the paws of the Dryden team.  Discipline, confidence, teamwork, sportsmanship and heart were the tools of the Lansing team to become the League and Playoff Champions.

A much disciplined defense and seven innings of confident pitching held the hard hitting Dryden team to only one unearned run.  The Bobcats made several great plays but they had two key defensive plays, both from rookie players, which kept the Lions from gaining any momentum.  In the top of the third inning, one out and a runner on second base, starting Second Baseman, Matt Gonyea snagged a hard hit line drive and touched second base before the runner could tag up, to complete an unassisted, inning ending, double play.

Later in the game Second Baseman, Nick Parkes, pounced on and scooped up a ground ball, flipping it to Short Stop, Jared Strait who jumped, twisted and bulleted the ball “Straiter Style” to Corbin Atkins at first for a 4-6-3 double play.  Starting Pitcher Jesse Richardson earned the win, throwing six confident innings, striking out six batters, allowing only six hits, three walks, and one unearned run.

Due to Richardson nearing his pitch count limit, Brandon Davis was called in to close the game.  Brandon D. caused the first Dryden batter he faced to fly out, walked the second and struck out the next two batters to end the game.  Catcher Eric Eastman did an outstanding job behind the plate, calling a great game and leading his team.


Lansing, as a team, used a balance of confidence, discipline and aggressiveness to battle against the Dryden pitchers and run the bases.  Third Baseman, Brandon Davis, Center Fielder, Brandon Mikula and EH/ Third Baseman, Dominic Tarallo lead the team in batting average, while Strait, Richardson, Atkins and Tarallo lead the team in RBI.  In the bottom of the first inning after the Bobcats scored three runs, Owen Davis kept the pressure on by earning a well-disciplined walk then stealing second.  In the bottom of the fourth inning, Strait singled, stole second, stole third and then scored on Tarallo’s well-timed single to left field. 

Quad County President, Rick Lind and several of the Ithaca College staff to include Head Coach George Valesente, Mike Lindberg, Ernie McClatchie, and Michelle Manning all contribute to the community in many positive ways.  One of them is arranging for and allowing the local teams to play on Freeman field.

Overall it was a well-played matchup between two great teams.  Many fans from the surrounding towns showed up to support and cheer the teams on or to just watch a good baseball game at a beautiful stadium.  From the Lansing U10 squad doing the wave and learning from the players on the field, to the High school coaches doing a little scouting, everyone was entertained on a nice summer night.

It was a team effort over the entire season.  From Owen Carrican’s two out, two RBI, double in our very first game and Lansing Miller’s two out, two on, leaping catch in right field midway through, to Brandon Davis’s final pitch for the K in the championship game, everyone on the team contributed something.

 

Quad County Babe Ruth 2013 Championship
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
DRYDEN	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	0
LANSING	3	0	0	1	2	0	/	6	8	2

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