McGraw senior Nate Stiles took Marathon's Zach Birdsall deep in the bottom of the fifth, giving the Eagles a lead they wouldn't surrender in a 3-1 win Saturday in the first round of the PBR Lumber Yard Classic at Gutchess Lumber Sports Complex.
McGraw's offense had struggled for the first four innings before Stiles' home run. With Thomas Lea on base, the senior shortstop crushed a ball to left field and let the hard-blowing wind do the rest.
"I thought we made some plays, but that home run was a big booster — it's what energized our team," McGraw head coach Corey Wilson said. "I thought Marathon played a heck of a defensive game. They made crucial big throws that killed our momentum a couple times and left some kids on base."
Leading up to the home run, Birdsall kept Marathon in front 1-0. Marathon head coach Bryan Hoyt knew his guys needed another run, but McGraw's Blair Mulcahy matched the Marathon starter's performance.
"From the third, the fourth and the fifth, we wanted to give ourselves that little cushion," Hoyt said. "You knew it was going to be a low-scoring game. Both pitchers were doing a great job throwing, the defenses — I don't think there was a single error in the game."
Wilson wanted his players to make sure they didn't get too antsy despite Birdsall's early success.
"I just told them to stay patient," Wilson said. "Every time we've seen him (Birdsall) they like to take a swing at that first pitch and they kept grounding out and popping up. They had to stay patient and find their pitch, and I thought they did that."
Birdsall tossed a complete game for the Olympians, throwing six innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits and one walk with five strikeouts.
Birdsall had his big performance on the mound despite some unconventional adversity.
"He'll be the first to tell you he's not a morning person," Hoyt said. "He doesn't like pitching early, but being a lefty and a first baseman, I like to throw him in the first game of a doubleheader because his arm's getting a rest in the second game.
"He did a really great job out there. He battled, he was very accurate and precise with his pitches. He moved it inside and outside and his breaking ball worked well today."
Mulcahy nearly matched him, going five innings and getting the win by allowing one earned run on three hits, two walks and three hit batters with seven strikeouts. Jaydon Bassett got the two-inning save, striking out three batters while allowing a hit, a walk and a hit batter.
McGraw scored its insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, when Nick Sutton tripled to lead off the inning and Brennan Wilson hit him in with a groundout.
Marathon's lone run came in the top of the second, when Braydin Drake scored on a Camdyn Kashuba single.
McGraw went on to the championship game of the Lumber Yard Classic with the win. Wilson knew pulling off the comeback was big for thr Eagles' confidence in the second game.
"If we didn't win that game, we don't know where our heads are for the second game," Wilson said. "That was a big win. We needed that."
BOYS LACROSSE
HOMER 8, CARTHAGE 7
Homer head coach CJ Nye got his first career win Saturday thanks to Reid Partis' fourth goal of the game in double overtime. Partis also notched an assist in the Trojans' first win of the season.
Daniel Stiles also added two goals and three assists, Cooper Swartz scored twice, Hunter Riehlman notched two assists and Evan Butts had an assist. Alex Votra went 7-for-9 on face-offs and Tucker Gabriel was 5-for-10 on face-offs.
Ben Bradshaw stopped 11 shots for the Trojans.
GIRLS LACROSSE
CAZENOVIA 19, HOMER 5
Kendall Young and Maria Partis each scored twice for Homer in its season-opening loss. Partis also had five draw controls, two ground balls and a forced turnover.
Lilly Sorenson tallied a goal, an assist, four ground balls, three draw controls and two forced turnovers and Gracie Newman had an assist and a ground ball. Caitlin McCloy got two draw controls and two ground balls, Peighton Merriweather had a ground ball and a forced turnover and Izzy Tutino forced a turnover.
Aislynn Cobb made a save, got two ground balls and forced two turnovers.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
BASEBALL
Cortland vs. Chenango Forks, 5 p.m. today at Gutchess Lumber Sports Complex
Marathon at Moravia, 4:30 p.m. today
Union Springs at Groton, 4:30 p.m. today at Gutchess Lumber Sports Complex
Lansing at Dryden, 4:30 p.m. today
Cortland vs. Dryden, 7 p.m. Tuesday at Gutchess Lumber Sports Complex
Dryden vs. Chenango Forks, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Gutchess Lumber Sports Complex
Tully vs. Moravia, 2 p.m. Tuesday at Gutchess Lumber Sports Complex
Tully-Moravia winner vs. LaFayette, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Gutchess Lumber Sports Complex
SOFTBALL
Phoenix at Homer, noon today
Marathon at Dryden, 4:30 p.m. today
Moravia at Trumansburg, 4:30 p.m. today
BOYS LACROSSE
Dryden at Cortland, 6 p.m. today
Watertown at Homer, 5:30 p.m. Tuesday
Seton Catholic at Dryden, 7 p.m. Tuesday
Tully at Cicero-North Syracuse, 1 p.m. Tuesday
GIRLS LACROSSE
Southern Hills at Cazenovia, 1 p.m. Tuesday at Cazenovia College.
TRACK & FIELD
Homer at Tully, 3 p.m. today
Trumansburg, Union Springs at Groton, 4:30 p.m. today
Cortland at Westhill, 1 p.m. Tuesday
