NTL BASEBALL: NEB RALLIES PAST TOWANDA (2024-04-18)

Northern Tier Sports Report
ROME — NEB baseball rallied from a 4-run deficit to beat Towanda, 8-7, during NTL baseball action Wednesday.

The Panthers led 3-1 after the first but a 6-run second from the Knights put them up 7-3. NEB got two back in the third, then took the lead with a 3-run sixth.

“I don’t know if it wasn’t anything we did offensively, it wasn’t really pretty on the offensive end, but the kids found a way,” said NEB coach Brian Salsman. “I told them afterwards that a good team will find a way. I’m not sure if we’re a real good team yet, but we’re a good team”

NEB’s Kohen Hugo had himself a day, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, two runs scored, and an RBI, while also getting the win on the mound. He pitched the final two innings, striking out two with one walk, and one hit.

Josh Stanton (1-for-3) scored a run with Gavin Puza (1-for-2) scoring a run while driving two in. Andrew Beers (1-for-3) had 2-RBI with Ethan Hunsinger (1-for-3) getting one.

Cayden McPherson crossed home and also drove in a run as Clay Wiggins scored twice. Dillon Donnelly also scored.

Stanton got the start, going three innings with four strikeouts, three walks, two hits, and seven runs, none of which were earned. 

Hunsinger went the next three innings, striking out one with one walk and one hit.

For Towanda Dawson Butts (1-for-3) had an RBI with Jack Wheaton (1-for-3) and Gianni Assante Di Cupillo (1-for-4) both scoring.

Wil Shrawder (1-for-2) also got a hit with Rylee Sluyter scoring twice. Teagan Irish, Jack Tavani, and Owen Lane also crossed home.

Butts got the start, and went five innings with three strikeouts, eight walks, four hits, and five runs. Tavani went one-third of an inning, allowing one walk, two hits, and three runs. Wheaton finished out the final two-thirds with one strikeout.

In the top of the first Sluyter scored with two outs on an error off the bat of Assante. 

In the bottom half of the inning the first six batters for NEB reached base. Three straight runs were scored, one on a catcher’s interference with Hugo at the plate, scoring Donnelly. 

McPherson and Puza drew back to back walks to score Josh Stanton and Wiggins. Butts did get out of the jam, retiring the next three batters to keep it a 2-run deficit.

In the second Tavani led off with a walk, followed by Lane drawing a walk two batters later. Tavani would score on an error off the bat of Shrawder, while Irish drove in Lane on a fielder’s choice to tie the game up.

Back to back errors by NEB allowed Irish to come around and score, with a hit by Assante bringing in Sluyter. Butts then drove in Wheaton to make it 6-3.

Towanda’s final run of the inning came on a balk that allowed Assante to score for a 4-run lead.

NEB got two of them back in the third as Hugo led off with a double. Puza drove him in with a hit, then he scored on a 2-out single by Hunsinger to make it 7-5. 

That score held until the bottom of the sixth when Wiggins drew a 1-out walk. Hugo kept the rally going with a single, while an error off the bat of McPherson drove in Wiggins to make it a 1-run lead.

Puza was hit by a pitch, then Beers pushed NEB ahead, plating Hugo and McPherson on an 0-1 single to make it 8-7.

Towanda got out of the jam by picking off Beers, then Wheaton got a strikeout.

In the top of the seventh Hugo retired the side to secure the win.

NEB (5-2) will travel to CV on Friday while Towanda (2-5) is slated to travel to Athens on Thursday.

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PHOTO CAPTION: NEB’s Kohen Hugo hits a double…PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING