YOUTH BASEBALL: ROUGH INNING COSTLY IN OWEGO-TIOGA COUNTY LEGION LOSS (18 PHOTOS) (2019-06-19)

Tioga County Sports Report
OWEGO — Four walks, a hit batter, two errors and two base hits added up to six runs in the third inning as TC Hawks Post 1596 pulled away from Owego-Tioga County Post 401 then held on for a 10-6 American Legion win here Wednesday.

With the score tied at three, the Harpursville-based Hawks sandwiched a hit batter between two errors, the second miscue giving them a 4-3 advantage. Following an out, the Hawks made it 5-3 on a single to right field.

Tioga County would change pitchers and give up a walk and error for another run, then surrender an RBI single as Harpursville widened the gap to 7-3. Owego would give up three straight walks to follow, making the score 9-3.

O-TC would again switch pitchers and third baseman Ryan Johnson would turn an unassisted double play on a line drive.

Tioga County attempted to rally in the fourth and got three runs back.

Mason Booser singled to right, stole second, moved to third on a dropped third strike play and scored on a wild pitch.

Mitch Taylor walked with one away and advanced to third on a pair of passed balls. He would score on Josh Kithcart’s single to left. Nate Bennett, who walked before Kithcart came to the plate, moved to second on the hit. He reached third on a passed ball, then stole home to trim the score to 9-6.

The Hawks added an insurance run in the fourth.

The visitors never tried, pushing two runs across following a pair of hit batters and a two-run error in their first at-bats of the game, but Tioga County got one run back when Bennett walked, moved to second on an error and scored on Kithcart’s base hit.

Harpursville increased it’s lead to 3-1 in the second, staring the inning off with three straight singles. Jack Symons, Bennett and Brayden Ferris would turn an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play and O-TC would tie the game in its half of the inning.

Thomas Cook drilled a triple to center and scored on a Symons ground out. Following a walk to Seth Franks, Taylor tied the score with an RBI single.

The game was called after five innings due to darkness.

Kithcart went 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI. Taylor was 1-for-2 with a run and an RBI, Booser was 1-for-2 with a run and Cook went 1-for-3 with a run. Bennett scored twice, Franks scored once and Symons added an RBI. Johnson and Taylor had two stolen bases apiece, and Bennett, Booser, Franks and Kithcart added one theft each.

Karson Tofte suffered the loss, giving up seven runs, only of which was earned, on four hits in 2 1/3 innings. Johnson gave up two runs on a hit and four walks. Cook scattered two hits and a walk over 2 2/3 innings while striking out four. He surrendered one run.

Owego-Tioga County (2-2) visits Vestal Post 89 at 2 p.m. Saturday.

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IN PHOTO 1: Owego-Tioga County’s Mason Booser. … PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.