STAC BASEBALL: OWEGO RALLIES PAST CHENANGO FORKS, 6-3 (2024-04-26)

Tioga County Sports Report
OWEGO — Owego collected four of its seven hits in the bottom of the fifth inning to rally past Chenango Forks, 6-3, in STAC baseball action Friday.

With the River Hawks trailing 3-1 through 4 ½ innings, Joseph Palladino started a rally with a leadoff double, then Ben Rollison and Conlan Taylor would follow with consecutive singles with Taylor picking up an RBI.

After a pickoff at first, Evan English walked, then Elijah Lewis smacked a two-run double to right, giving Owego a 4-3 edge.

The River Hawks would tack on a couple of insurance runs in the sixth.

With two away, Palladino walked, then Rollison and Taylor again hit back-to-back singles. Palladino stole home in between and Taylor picked up another RBI.

Forks got three of its eighth hits in the first inning and grabbed a 2-0 lead, then increased it to 3-0 in the third on the strength of back-to-back doubles.

Owego scored its initial run in the home half of the third after Taylor and Lewis walked, and Taylor was awarded home on a balk.

Taylor led the River Hawks at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a run and two RBI. Rollison was 2-for-4 with two runs; English was 1-for-2 with a run; Lewis went 1-for-2 with two RBI; and Palladino was 1-for-2 with two runs.

Mason Grippen took the win, throwing three innings of hitless relief with one strikeout and one walk. Jake Bensley pitched the first three innings, striking out one, walking one and giving up three runs on eight hits. Connor Kotski earned the save, pitching the seventh with a strikeout and a walk, and no hits allowed.

Owego (11-1) hosts Waverly (12-1) Monday to begin a three-game series which will most likely determine the STAC Central champion.

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IN PHOTO 1: Owego’s Joe Palladino diving home. ... PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.