ONEONTA – Sidney’s baseball team is not about to be outdone by the exploits of its basketball and football teams.
The Warriors took a step toward matching those programs’ accomplishments winning their first Midstate Athletic Conference championship and first league title in 12 years beating Oxford Friday, 5-3, at Neahwa Field in Oneonta.
On the heels of sectional titles by the two aforementioned clubs, this Sidney group could complete a triple crown of titles if it continues to play as it did against the Blackhawks. “There was a lot of pressure on these guys considering what the basketball and football teams did,” said Sidney coach Kyle Vibbard, who previously guided Sherburne-Earlville into league title contention several years ago.
After a rough start, Sidney hurler Cody Rose threw zeroes the final six innings allowing just three Oxford hits. He was buoyed by an offensive awakening in the sixth in which they put together five hits – three of the extra-base variety – and scored the go-ahead runs. The tallies all came after Oxford hurler Steve Locke had retired 10 straight batters, and appeared poised to win his ninth straight decision against no defeats.
“We knew coming in that they have a solid hitting lineup from top to bottom,” said Oxford coach Chris Palmer, now in his second season as head coach. “They hit the ball well in the sixth inning; there were no cheap hits in the bunch.”
Chase Mott roped a triple to centerfield to lead off, and after a strikeout to Aubrey Wood, Parker Umbra gapped a triple to leftcenter scoring Mott with the tying run. Brett Pendorf singled in Umbra with the go-ahead run, and Jarred Mertz’s double to right field tacked on insurance.
“We’ve been doing that all year,” Vibbard said. “It seems like in the big games, we have that one big inning – like we did against Unatego.”
Sidney needed to win a playoff game over the Spartans earlier in the week just to reach the title game. Meanwhile, Oxford was coming off its first loss to a MAC team, a defeat that snapped a 14-game winning streak. Palmer said that loss had no ill effects on his team’s psyche. “The next day (after that loss), they were at practice and already running laps before I said anything,” he said. “That loss didn’t affect us at all, and in fact it probably motivated us. Sidney is a tough team, and the way they played today, they deserved to win.”
Oxford’s first four batters of the game all reached base on basehits against Rose. Pat Wade singled to lead off, Jake Vincent doubled, and Steve Locke hit an RBI single. Ben Burdick completed the uprising with a two-run single off Rose. Rose set the tone for the rest of the game striking out the side in the second inning. “Historically, Cody has had a tough time getting out of the first inning,” Vibbard said. “After he gets through that, he seems to settle in nicely.”
Wade, Vincent, and Locke all had two hits for the Blackhawks (17-3), who open sectional play later this week.
Umbra had two hits and two RBI for the Warriors.
Sidn. 020 003 0 5 9 2
Oxf. 300 000 0 3 7 0
Cody Rose (W) and Parker Umbra. Steve Locke (L) and Jake Vincent. Doubles: (O) Vincent; (S) Umbra, Mertz; triples: (S) Mott, Umbra.