Valley Sports Report
WAVERLY — Most youth baseball fans west of Waverly think West Elmira is the team to beat at the 2010 Bottone Tournament. On Wednesday evening, their 10 & Under team substantiated that claim, defeating one of the better teams from east of Waverly.
The Elmirans took advantage of nine hits and seven walks and capitalized on near-perfect defensive play to down Nichols-Tioga, 13-3, in five innings in second round action.
Nichols-Tioga put three runners on board in the top of the first, but West Elmira kept the visitors away from home plate, then scored four runs in the bottom half of the inning.
N-T threatened to get on the board in the second when Derrick Barto walked and reached second on Mitchell Taylor’s base hit. Both runner would advance another base, but were unable to score.
The home team then extended its lead to 7-0 in its half of the inning.
Nichols-Tioga got on the scoreboard in the third when Damon Rockwell and Jake Robertson delivered back-to-back singles. Barto brought Rockwell across on a fielder’s choice.
Brady Worthing and Nick Sargent were issued walks in the fourth, but again N-T was unable to bring them around.
West Elmira rode a double and two singles to a 10-1 advantage through four innings.
In the fifth, with two away, Robertson reached on an error, and Barto and Brady Worthing walked to load the bases. Taylor delivered a 2-run double to left field to close the gap to 10-3.
West Elmira used a base hit and three walks to end the contest.
Taylor went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs to lead N-T at the plate. Damon Rockwell was 1-for-2 with a walk and a run and Robertson went 1-for-3 with a run. Barto had two walks, a run and an RBI, Brady Worthing two walks and Sargent two walks. Justin Rockwell also reached base twice after being hit by a pitch and walking.
Nichols-Tioga faces NEBALL Thursday at 6 p.m. in an elimination game.
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IN TOP PHOTO: Shortstop Derrick Barto prepares to throw to first for an out. MIDDLE PHOTO: First baseman Sam Taylor checks the runner at third after recording the putout. BOTTOM PHOTO: Mitchell Taylor smacks a 2-run double. … PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR
