SALAMANCA — The Salamanca High School baseball team showed resilience on Tuesday night as they beat Allegany-Limestone 8-4 in CCAA Division I play, improving their record to 8-0 overall and 2-0 in the division.
After taking an early 3-0 lead, the Warriors watched Allegany-Limestone answer back with a three-run fourth inning. However, the Gators’ offense stalled, and Salamanca regained control. The Warriors added a run in the fifth inning and then scored four more in the sixth to secure the win.
“We tell them this is how the league will be: a rollercoaster,” said Salamanca coach Greg Herrick. “It’s always better to be tested and come out with a win than to lose. Tonight, we got the lead, they tied it up, and we had to battle back. It was a great test.”
The Warriors collected nine hits from six different batters. Leading the charge was Cory Holleran, who went 3-for-4 with a triple, three runs, an RBI, and three stolen bases. Payton Bradley also contributed with a 2-for-4 performance, including a run and an RBI. Holleran, Bradley, and Jake Herrick each tripled in the game.
Kruz Coustenis’ single in the fifth inning put the Warriors ahead 4-3. In the seventh, Herrick added two more runs with a triple to right field, followed by another triple from Holleran to seal the win.
“Holleran is a huge piece of the team, that’s why he’s in the 2 hole,” Herrick said. “But I’m equally impressed by the guys at the bottom of the order. When we had our breakthrough inning, the 8 and 9 hitters battled, and that helped us seal the win.”
Holleran also stepped in as a reliever, throwing 3.1 innings and allowing just one unearned run. He and starter Zach Trietley, who exited in the fourth, combined for 11 strikeouts.
“Holleran has been excellent in relief,” Herrick said. “He has a good mentality and knows how to handle the pressure of the game. I like the dynamic we have right now.”
Looking ahead, Herrick acknowledged the need for continued depth, especially with two important games against Dunkirk later in the week.
For Allegany-Limestone, Khyree Harmon pitched into the sixth inning, striking out eight batters and allowing just one walk through the first five innings. However, the Gators struggled with errors that allowed Salamanca to score.
“We made a couple of mistakes that led to runs,” said Gators coach Eric Hemphill. “If we hadn’t made those errors, we might have been ahead at that point. We need to limit mistakes and grow as a team.”
The Gators (3-3) are a young team, with four seniors and no juniors, and coach Hemphill hopes they’ll learn from their mistakes as the season progresses. Despite their challenges, he remains optimistic about their development.
“We’re learning from every game,” Hemphill said. “We can’t keep making the same mistakes, but we’re improving every day.”
Related topics
- Off-Road Race Canceled After Local Hospital Reaches Capacity
- Türkiye Strengthens Ties with Uganda through Race and Donations
- Tanqua Kuru Bicycle Race Returns for Fifth Year with New Features