South Williamsport Rallies Late To Beat Wellsboro

By: Ed Weaver  /  April 9, 2023

South Williamsport scored 9 late runs, including a walk-off grand slam to beat Wellsboro 12-9 in non-league baseball action on Saturday, April 8.

"We played clean baseball through 5 innings but not so much in the 6th and 7th and that cost us," said head coach Steve Adams. "We missed some scoring opportunities early in the game which you can't do and beat a quality team."

Wellsboro scored twice in the top of the 1st as junior Caden Smith and senior Conner Adams drew back-to-back walks. Senior Cameron Brought and sophomore Ryder Bowen also collected hits, along with a walk by freshman Marek Mascho in the inning. Both Smith and Adams would score as the Hornets led 2-0. South Williamsport got one run back in the bottom half of the inning to make it a one-run game, then added one more in the bottom of the third to tie up the score.

The Hornets broke the tie in the top of the 4th with 7 runs to retake the lead. Smith started the inning off with a double, followed by an Adams single, a Brought walk, and a single by senior Blake Hamblin. Mascho and Bowen then hit back-to-back doubles, sophomore Gabe Sprouse singled, and sophmore Lucas Cuneo doubled. All but Cuneo would score in the inning, putting the Hornets ahead 9-2.

South Williamsport cut the lead to 9-3 with a run in the bottom of the 4th, then added 5 runs in the 6th to cut it to 9-8, then added four runs on Tadd Lusk's grand slam.

Mascho led Wellsboro going 2-for-3 at the place with 2 RBIs and a run. Bowen and Sprouse were both 2-for-4 and both scored runs. Bowen drove in 3 runners and Sprouse one. Adams finished 2-for-5 with a stolen base and two runs scored and Hamblin was also 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Cuneo and Smith were both 1-for-4 and Brought was 1-for-3 with an RBI and run scored. Smith also scored a pair of runs.

Hamblin started and faced 26 batters in 5 innings. He gave up 5 runs (4 earned) on 5 hits with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts. Smith came on for the final inning an a third, giving up 7 runs on 3 hits with 4 walks and 2 strikeouts.

The loss drops the Hornets to 4-2 (4-1 NTL Large School Division). The team returns to league play on Tuesday, April 11 against Athens (5-0, 4-0 NTL Large School Division).