The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Oneida clinches TVL title at Camden
CAMDEN, N.Y. » Oneida has done it again.
With three games still remaining on the regular season slate, head coach Mike Curro’s side guaranteed a share of the TVL Pioneer title will head back to Oneida - as it has each season since the turn of the decade - following a hard-fought 7-0 win in Camden on Friday.
“I amsoproudof them,” Curro said of his team following the victory. “They were fired up to come up here and get the win.”
Kyra Shlotzhauer pitched another gem from the circle for Oneida, striking out nine batters in a complete-game threehit shutout.
Camden southpawLaura VanHoven yielded seven runs - four of which were earned - while scattering nine hits and striking out three in the loss for Billy Sullivan’s Blue Devils.
Oneida catcher Reilly White finished the day 1-for-3 with a pair of RBI. Shlotzhauer helped her own cause in the circle with a two-RBI single of her own. Oneida table-setter Kaylin Curro reached base three times in four at-bats with two singles, a walk, and a run scored. Brianna Laureti and Sydney Lusher both finished with a pair of hits for Oneida, and Lauren Skitbitski added a pair of runs and a double.
Sierra Amo, Kim Birmingham, and Lily Sullivan collected one hit a piece for Camden in the defeat.
Shlotzhauer and VanHoven were both dealing to open the contest.
After surrendering a leadoff walk to Curro, the Camden starter set down the next three Oneida hitters to get out of the inning. Shlotzhauer answered with a 1-2-3 inning for Oneida and the duel was on.
VanHoven yielded a leadoff single to Sydney Lusher in the top of the second, but the Oneida first baseman was caught stealing by Camden catcher Aislynn Rose for the first out of the inning. VanHoven followed with a strikeout of Alyssa Gienger and got EmilyMarshall on a grounder to second to keep Oneida off the scoreboard heading into the bottomhalf of the second.
Shlotzhauer worked another 1-2-3 frame, relying on a solid infield to help her make quick work of the second inning.
Oneida used small-ball tactics to take the first lead of the ball game. With one out in the top of the third, Abby Carroll forced a throwing error on a bunt down the line to safely reach first. Curro slapped a single the otherway in the nextOneida at-bat, and Laureti loaded the bases with a bunt single before Shlotzhauer delivered with a two-RBI single. Laureti was caught in a run-down rounding third base for the second out of the frame, and VanHoven struck out Skitbitski to strand Shlotzhauer on second to exit the jam.
Mara Stone grounded out to second to lead off the bottom of the third, and Shlotzhauer struck out the next two batters she faced for another quick inning.
Following a scoreless fourth and fifth inning for both teams, Oneida broke through in the top of the sixth. Skibitski led off with a double for the game’s only extra-base hit. Lusher followed with a single to put a pair of runners on with no outs. VanHoven rebounded by striking out Alyssa Gienger and then inducing a popup from Emily Marshall, but White came up with a big two-out hit to plate Skibitski and Lusher for a 4-0 Oneida lead.
Shlotzhauer returned to the circle for the sixth inning after losing a perfect game in the bottom of the fifth to an error that allowed Camryn Sullivan on base. She retired the first two hitters of the frame before surrendering a two-out single to Camden second baseman Sierra Amo that ended the no-hit bid. Unperturbed, Shlotzhauer struck out the next batter to close the frame and keep the shutout intact.
Oneida added three more runs in the top of the seventh for a 7-0 cushion, and after Camden led off the bottomhalf of the frame by putting two runners onwith no outs, Shlotzhauer slammed the door shut with three straight strikeouts to finish the contest.
The win positions Oneida for at least a share of the TVL Pioneer title with three league contests - Camden, Vernon-Verona- Sherrill, Central Valley Academy - remaining before sectional play.
After facing South Jefferson on Saturday, Camden will take onOneida, VernonVerona-Sherrill, East Syracuse Minoa, and Central Valley Academy next week.
Oneida improves to 15-2 this spring and remains unbeaten in league play at 9-0.
“We’d like to go unblemished [in league play],” Curro said, noting that he would like to his side improve its ability to drive in runners in scoring position before falling back to the adage that has served the program so well. “One game at a time.”
Camden moves to 4-3 on the season and 3-3 in league action.