Purple Eagles roll past Panthers

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 15 May 2014 at 12:00 am

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Albion’s Dominic DiCureia slides into home for a run just ahead of a tag by Newfane catcher Nick O’Lay during the host Purple Eagles 13-3 win over the visiting Panthers this afternoon.

Scoring in every inning but the first, Albion posted a rainy 13-3 victory over visiting Newfane this afternoon in a Niagara-Orleans League baseball game.

It was a contest that took two days to complete as thunderstorms halted play in the third inning on Wednesday forcing the contest to be started again from the beginning today.

Albion moved on top to stay by scoring four times in the second inning on a two-run single by Dominic DiCureia, a bunt single by John Krieger and a fielders choice play.

Newfane did cut the deficit to 4-2 on a two-run single by Josh Kneeland in the top of the third but the Panthers would get no closer.

Albion got one of those runs back in the home half of the third and then broke the contest wide open with five more runs in the fourth.

Photo by Cherl Wertman – Newfane’s Trevor Noon dives back int first as Albion first baseman Steven Stauss takes the throw.

A two-run double by Connor Barleben highlighted that uprising which also included an RBI single by Noah Preston and run producing sacrifice flys by Steven Stauss and Aaron Burnside. Two walks sandwiched around a single by Krieger loaded the bases to set up the threat.

The Purple Eagles capped off the win with one run in the sixth and two more in the seventh on an error and an RBI double by John Warne. Singles by Burnside and winning pitcher Austin Loyd set up that opportunity.

Warne, Preston and Krieger each finished with two hits.

Loyd pitched the first five inning allowing four hits and striking out six.

Burnside came on to hurl the final two frames giving up two hits with one strikeout. He also triggered a nifty double play in the sixth inning that went to Barleben at shortstop to Stauss at first.

Albion, which had already locked up a third straight N-O championship, improves to 12-1 while Newfane slips to 5-7.