Oriskany wins first Section 3 baseball crown in five years

SYRACUSE - Having a right mindset paid off for the Oriskany Redskins.

"We knew we were better than a seven seed," baseball coach Eric Enos said. "We just had to go out there and play better that the No. 7 seed."

The No. 7 seed did just that Monday and the Redskins shut out No. 1 Belleville-Henderson 1-0 in Section III's Class D championship game at Onondaga Community College.

"It's awesome," Enos said. "We left here last year with a bad taste in our mouth. Luckily we were able to work our way back here this year."

Oriskany (14-4) was beaten 3-2 by Morrisville-Eaton in last year's championship game despite scoring first and taking a 2-0 lead as the higher seed.

Runs were no easier to come by Monday afternoon in the first of three holiday championship contests at the turf facility. Belleville-Henderson junior Brittan Cross struck out the side in the top of the first inning and would fan 15 batters while allowing two hits through six innings.

Cross walked Karsten Bates with one out in the fourth inning, putting just the second runner on base for the Redskins. Bates stole second base before Jack Tamburino lined a double to left field and sent him home with what would be the game's only run.

"We felt what it was like to be on the other side last year," Tamburino said. "This feels a lot better and we came in not wanting to feel that ever again."

Kernan tripled when two were out the inning after Bates scored but was left stranded at third base.

"I knew our offense has been rolling lately and I knew they could get runs for me," said Anthony Kernan, Oriskany's starting pitcher again this year after taking the loss last year.

"This feels a lot better than losing," he added. "I've waited a whole year to re-do this game and win."

Kernan made his main contributions from the mound, pitching six innings and striking out nine batters while walking one; he allowed only one hit after Brandon Dodge singled as the first batter for Belleville-Henderson (16-3).

"I felt great," Kernan said. "It was unreal, like I was not even conscious out there."

Dodge was the only Belleville-Henderson runner to reach third base, and Kernan retired the last eight batters he faced and 15 of the final 16 after walking the first batter in the second inning. Eddie Wright took the ball for the bottom of the seventh and pitched a 1-2-3 inning, ending the game with back-to-back strikeouts.

"Anthony did a great job," said Wright, " and it felt great to go out there to finish it off and get the win."

The win was the eighth in a row for Oriskany which had scored 79 runs in the first seven games of the streak and 35 in its previous playoff wins against Fabius-Pompey, New York Mills and West Canada Valley, that latter two of which were higher-seeded Center State Conference foes.

"We used the seeds as motivation," Tamburino said.

Belleville-Henderson had won its last 15 games but had beaten Brookfield 1-0 and Stockbridge Valley 3-1 in the playoffs after finishing the regular season with a 4-0 win. Saturday's semifinal went scoreless in Utica until Stockbridge Valley got its lone run in then top of the sixth inning.

The Panthers allowed five runs in their final nine games and no more than one in any single contest.

The Redskins return to Onondaga Community College for regional play Saturday at noon against Section IV Deposit/Hancock, the reigning state champion. Deposit/Hancock was also the regional opponent when Oriskany won its last sectional title in 2018.

This article originally appeared on Times Telegram: Oriskany wins first Section 3 baseball crown in five years