When Noah Springer came up to bat with the winning run 90 feet away in the bottom of the 7th inning in Saturday's Class D Baseball Sectional Championship game, it was his chance to correct allowing the tying run from Mekeel Christian Academy to score in the top 6th.
He had taken over as pitcher after Matt Case had gone 5 innings and was two balls into his battle with Jadin Zoeller in the top 6th. He would not get out of the inning without allowing the tying run, but was able to prevent any further damage to take place.
Springer got the count full, with pinch runner Mason Dunn on 3rd, and the other two bags full. Nobody was out.
The payoff pitch was outside, for ball four. With the bases loaded, Dunn was allowed to come home, clinching the walk-off victory for Hadley-Luzerne as they beat Mekeel Christian Academy in the Section 2 Class D Championship game, winning 5-4.
For Hadley-Luzerne, the title is their first since 1968. According to The Post-Star's Pete Tobey, the 1968 championship for Hadley-Luzerne was against Windham, as they won the Class E Championship 10-3.
The Eagles will next play either the Section 7 champions in Bolton or the Section 10 champions Parishville-Hopkinton. That game will be played at Chip Cummings Field at SUNY Plattsburgh on Thursday. If Bolton wins, the game will be played at Plattsburgh High School on Saturday, June 1st at 4pm. If Parishville-Hopkinton wins, the game will take place at St. Lawrence University that same day, but at Noon.
A win in that game will mean a trip to Binghamton for the Eagles.
