West sweeps

Murdough shuts out East for 2nd time

By SHAWN VARGO

PAINTED POST | Corning West proved that its April 28 win over Corning East was no fluke by downing the Trojans 2-1 Monday for a regular-season sweep of its cross-town rivals.

An RBI single from Kyle Fisher in the bottom of the sixth inning proved to be the game-winner as Vikings starter Josh Murdough got a pair of flyouts to right field, then picked Coleman Flory off first and eventually got the game's final out after a lengthy rundown.

“I give these kids credit - they went out and won it for themselves,” said West coach Lou Condon. “This ranks up there with our win over East in the 1996 sectional finals. This was a dream come true.”

Murdough scattered five hits, while striking out seven for West (5-9, 4-8). The Mansfield-bound senior used his breaking ball as his best weapon.

“His curve ball has been his bread and butter pitch,” Condon said. “When he's able to throw it for strikes, it's an asset. He pitched a whale of a game today.”

“I tip my hat to him, he pitched a good game,” said East coach John Knapp said of Murdough. “He's one of the best in the area and that's why he's going to Mansfield.”

East actually got on the scoreboard first in the second inning when D.J. Laughlin-Pope hit a two-out double to right-center field. Andrew Naylor then blooped an RBI single that fell in front of a diving Mike Speroni in right field.

East nearly gave its starter Nick Child more runs to work with in the third inning when Cameron Flory singled with one out and went to third on a two-base error off Dan Telehany's drive to center field.

But Murdough got Jack Rubin to pop up to first base, before ending the inning on a Tyler Mizerak fly ball to center.

West evened the score in the bottom of the third as Jarred Cornfield drew a one-out walk, before coming home on a Zack Phillips triple to the wall in center field.

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Child shut the door on further scoring by striking out the next two batters he faced.

“Nick did a great job today. We just didn't give him enough runs,” Knapp said.

East kept the Vikings at bay with some strong defensive efforts. From third base Naylor made a pair of great stabs and throwouts in the second and fourth innings, then started a double play when he snared a sacrifice bunt attempt in the air and doubled up the runner at first.

West also turned a double play in the fourth inning and foiled scoring opportunities in the fifth and sixth innings when East had runners on third base.

In the bottom of the sixth, Rick Nichols led off with a single, which was followed by a Kevin Child single. With pinch-running Mark Ross on second base, Fisher slapped a ground ball up the middle and out of the reach of a diving Cameron Flory to plate the deciding run.

“I told the kids if we needed to play small - we'll play small ball,” Condon said. “The kids never lost their focus and they never lost their composure.”

West will host Elmira Free Academy at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, while East travels to Maine-Endwell for a 4:30 p.m. game today.