ONEONTA – On Saturday, July 19, the Oxford Blackhawks PONY league team traveled to SUNY Oneonta to face Delhi in the semifinals. Both teams came in to the matchup with a chance to make the championship game. Oxford tied the game at eight in the top of the seventh inning but Delhi scored the game-winner in the bottom of the seventh to win it 9-8. Delhi will face Unatego in the PONY league championship game Tuesday evening.

After two scoreless innings, both teams got on the board in the third. Oxford added four runs in the top of the third as Joey Locke drew a walk and Conner Dunagan walked with one out, which Locke moved to third on a passed ball to put runners on the corners. Uri Tracy walked to load the bases before the second out.

Bodie Barrows singled to right field to bring in both Locke and Dunagan. Tracy scored on a wild pitch and Barrows scored on Adam Beckwith’s two-out RBI single to left field. Two more runners reached base on walks before the final out.

Delhi answered back with seven runs in the bottom of the third and extended their lead to make it 8-5 after the fourth inning. Oxford got within one, making it an 8-7 deficit with two runs scored in the top of the fifth.

With one out, Adam Beckwith singled to center, advanced to second on a hit by pitch, and both Beckwith and Eddie Ingraham scored on Joey Locke’s two-out, two-run triple.

Dunagan closed on a scoreless bottom of the fifth and sixth on the mound for the Blackhawks, giving his team a chance to make a comeback in the final seventh inning, down 8-7.

Bodie Barrows singled to lead off the seventh inning, advanced to second on an error, and to third on a wild pitch. Barrows came in to score the tying run on Adam Beckwith’s single to center field.

An error, stolen base, wild pitch, and a passed ball brought in the game-winner for Delhi in the bottom of the seventh.

Oxford outhit Delhi 8-4 as Beckwith led the team with three hits and two RBIs. Bodie Barrows had two hits and two RBIs as Dunagan and Locke contributed with hits with Locke having the two-run triple.

Oxford drew nine walks, where Locke and Degan Endress walked twice.

Endress started on the mound for Oxford, going 2.1, allowing seven runs (six earned) on four hits, four walks, and struck out five batters. Dunagan worked 3.2 in relief, allowing two unearned runs on no hits, two walks, and struck out eight batters in the loss.

Great season, Oxford.