Congratulations to the 2023 Bainbridge-Guilford Bobcats and head coach Phil Bianchi on making it to the Sectional championship and on a successful season. (Photo by Morgan Golliver)

UNION-ENDICOTT – After pulling off several upsets throughout the Section IV, Class C tournament, the Bainbridge-Guilford Bobcats baseball team made its first appearance of school history at the championship game. The Bobcats’ 2-1 lead slipped away as Watkins Glen/Odessa Montour pushed through to win 6-4.

The Bobcats got on the board in the first and second innings to take an early 2-0 lead. Ethan Beames singled to left field to drive home Damon Seymour as Julian Pruskowski drove in Jose Bivar on an RBI single with two outs in the second.

The game stayed 2-0 until the Storm got runners on against B-G’s Nolan Hawkins and scored on a passed ball. In the bottom of the fifth, Hawkins got shaken up as Watkins Glen/Odessa Montour scored five runs to take a 6-2 lead. Hawkins got out of the inning with three crucial strikeouts.

With two more at-bats to go for the Bobcats, they knew they had to answer back in both the sixth and seventh innings with the game on the line. B-G got one back in the sixth as Connor Davy reached on an error after his pop fly ball landed in fair territory and Pruskowski came in to score.

Nolan Hawkins held the Storm from adding any insurance runs to give his team one last chance to attempt a comeback. With one out in the top of the seventh, Hawkins hit a pop fly that landed in fair territory similar to Davy’s ball and was at second base for Gavin Gifford to bring him home. Hawkins was at third after an error was made on a throw over to second base. Gifford grounded out, but Hawkins was able to score on the play. Down to their final out, Jose Bivar grounded out to third to end the game.

Kaiden Seymour and Julian Pruskowski led the Bobcats with two of the seven total hits. Damon Seymour, Ethan Beames, and Timmy Kinter each collected one hit as Hawkins struck out nine batters in the loss.

B-G finished the 2023 season strong with a 12-9 record and can only be proud of themselves for making it this far. Congratulations to the Bobcats and head coach Phil Bianchi. Best of luck to the seniors.

Box Score:

Runs by Inning: R H E

B-G:

1-1-0-0-0-1-1 4 7 2

WG/OM:

0-0-0-1-5-0-X 6 6 4