BAINBRIDGE – On Friday, Norwich and Bainbridge-Guilford faced each other in the battle of the unbeaten division “A” PONY League teams. B-G threatened in the first inning, tacking on five runs, but Norwich’s defense held them while the offense answered back with seven unanswered runs to win 8-5.

Norwich took a brief 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Zack Parker had tremendous base running and scored on a dropped third strike, which is counted as a passed ball. B-G answered back with five runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. The first three batters reached on walks before Damon Seymour grounded into a fielder’s choice to send in the first run for the Thunder.

Gavin Gifford also drove in a run on a sacrifice-fly while the next scored on an error. Aiden Haynes drove in the final two runs in the inning off a two-out, two-RBI single.

After some mishaps by the B-G defense, Norwich quickly had the bases loaded in the top of the second inning. Colin Reid drove in two runs with a RBI double before Zack Parker tied the game at five with a two-RBI single.

B-G had a runner in scoring position in the bottom half of the second, but they failed to score the go-ahead run. Parker struck out the final two batters and totaled three in the inning.

After Parker started the third inning with two runners on base and helped get two outs, Carmine Pastore enters and goes the distance to complete the game on the winning side. Norwich provides Pastore with a victory, starting in the top of the fifth inning.

With the game still tied at five, Michael Brunick drives in the go-ahead run with a RBI single to left field. The Purple Tornado defense holds B-G to get the final insurance runs in the sixth inning as Jaxson Francis drove in a pair on a single to center.

Pastore earns the win after going four and two-thirds in relief for Norwich. He only allowed two hits, walked two batters, and struck out six. Parker (four) and Pastore combined with 10 strikeouts.

Kaiden Seymour started the game on the mound for the Thunder, but exited after three and a two-thirds. Damon Seymour replaced him with two outs in the fourth. Kaiden (six) and Damon combined with 11 strikeouts in the loss.

Norwich hosts Oxford on Thursday while B-G is set to host Oxford this evening. Both games are expected to start at 6 p.m.

Box Score:

Runs by Inning: R H E

NO:

1-4-0-0-1-2-0 8 5 3

B-G:

5-0-0-0-0-0-0 5 4 3

Other Scores:

Norwich “B” falls to Unatego in a rescheduled game 16-2. Norwich scored its only runs in the first inning off one hit as Bo Brown drove in a pair on a long single to left field. Norwich hosts Oneonta this evening at 6 p.m.