ALBANY - In a thrilling game of long ball in the Albany baseball team's season opener, Orangeville (Ill.) delivered a knockout punch.
Orangeville's Austin Cramer struck the final blow by crushing a three-run homer off Albany senior Tyler Bauman to spark a four-run eighth inning to lift the Broncos to an 8-4 win over the Comets on Friday.
"We are going to come together," Albany coach Brian Dahl said. "You always come out and start the season kind of sluggish. Orangeville is a good team. Tonight was a measuring stick to see what we are made of."
Dahl has to be excited about the early returns. The Comets came back from a 4-2 deficit in the bottom of the seventh. Albany senior Brandon Pfeuti doubled down the third base line to start the rally. Then, fellow senior Mike Elmer delivered by blasting a game-tying two-run home run to center to force extra innings.
Elmer, who entered the seventh hitless, remained confident at the plate.
"I was making contact all night," Elmer said. "I knew to just stay with it and I would hit the ball. I just thought it was going to be a double or something so I was running as hard as I could."
Orangeville (7-1) capitalized on two Comets' errors early on and used some aggressive running on the basepaths to create scoring opportunities. The Broncos stole four of their five bases in the first four innings. Cramer walked leading off the game and then stole second. He later scored on an error.
Albany (0-1) battled back when Phil Kauk crushed a game-tying solo homer to left. It was Kauk's first home run in his prep career.
"I planned on it," Kauk said of getting a high fastball he was looking to drive. "I realized it was gone."
Albany junior lefty Bryce Hulbert kept the Comets within striking distance with his pitching. Hulbert pitched seven innings and gave up just one earned run on three hits. He struck out four and walked five.
"I was very happy with Bryce," Dahl said. "Bryce did a very nice job. We made some mental errors and that cost us three unearned runs."
The Broncos added to their lead in the fourth. Clayton Shick lined a single to center leading off the fourth. Mike Hanson reached on an error. Orangeville's Steve Bass knocked in a run with a groundout. Riley Kubatzke followed by drilling an RBI double to center to give the Broncos a 3-1 lead.
Steve Bass, who gave up two hits in the first four innings he pitched, ran into trouble in the fifth. After striking out Albany's Josh Peters, he walked the bases loaded.
The Broncos brought in Shick to pitch and he forced Elmer to pop out. Then Bauman, who led the Comets by going 2-for-4, came through with a clutch RBI single to cut the Broncos' lead to 3-2. Shick struck out Kauk to end the Comets' threat with the bases loaded.
"That was a huge part," Dahl said about a back-breaking inning where the Comets could only push across one run with the bases loaded and one out.
"We hit the ball hard. It's important that late in the game to get the runs in. We need clutch hits in those situations."
Orangeville's Austin Cramer struck the final blow by crushing a three-run homer off Albany senior Tyler Bauman to spark a four-run eighth inning to lift the Broncos to an 8-4 win over the Comets on Friday.
"We are going to come together," Albany coach Brian Dahl said. "You always come out and start the season kind of sluggish. Orangeville is a good team. Tonight was a measuring stick to see what we are made of."
Dahl has to be excited about the early returns. The Comets came back from a 4-2 deficit in the bottom of the seventh. Albany senior Brandon Pfeuti doubled down the third base line to start the rally. Then, fellow senior Mike Elmer delivered by blasting a game-tying two-run home run to center to force extra innings.
Elmer, who entered the seventh hitless, remained confident at the plate.
"I was making contact all night," Elmer said. "I knew to just stay with it and I would hit the ball. I just thought it was going to be a double or something so I was running as hard as I could."
Orangeville (7-1) capitalized on two Comets' errors early on and used some aggressive running on the basepaths to create scoring opportunities. The Broncos stole four of their five bases in the first four innings. Cramer walked leading off the game and then stole second. He later scored on an error.
Albany (0-1) battled back when Phil Kauk crushed a game-tying solo homer to left. It was Kauk's first home run in his prep career.
"I planned on it," Kauk said of getting a high fastball he was looking to drive. "I realized it was gone."
Albany junior lefty Bryce Hulbert kept the Comets within striking distance with his pitching. Hulbert pitched seven innings and gave up just one earned run on three hits. He struck out four and walked five.
"I was very happy with Bryce," Dahl said. "Bryce did a very nice job. We made some mental errors and that cost us three unearned runs."
The Broncos added to their lead in the fourth. Clayton Shick lined a single to center leading off the fourth. Mike Hanson reached on an error. Orangeville's Steve Bass knocked in a run with a groundout. Riley Kubatzke followed by drilling an RBI double to center to give the Broncos a 3-1 lead.
Steve Bass, who gave up two hits in the first four innings he pitched, ran into trouble in the fifth. After striking out Albany's Josh Peters, he walked the bases loaded.
The Broncos brought in Shick to pitch and he forced Elmer to pop out. Then Bauman, who led the Comets by going 2-for-4, came through with a clutch RBI single to cut the Broncos' lead to 3-2. Shick struck out Kauk to end the Comets' threat with the bases loaded.
"That was a huge part," Dahl said about a back-breaking inning where the Comets could only push across one run with the bases loaded and one out.
"We hit the ball hard. It's important that late in the game to get the runs in. We need clutch hits in those situations."
