Wings walk off to take 1-0 lead in short series...Post date July 31st, 2007

...The Wings came to the park last night ready to start their three game series againast the Allegany County Pioneers. Since the NYCBL playoffs are all a best of three series, the boys were hoping to get out to a fast start. That hope was quickly changed into comeback mode as the Wings found themselves down 4-0 after 3 innings. Starting pitcher Dusty Odenbach (University of Connecticut) never found the groove and struggled from the beginning, allowing 4 walks and three hits on 74 pithes in 3 innings. The Wings slowly chipped away at the Nitro lead scoring 2 in the fourth when Brock Miller (Gardner-Webb) lead off with double and then scored on a Julio Gomez (Coker) double. Gomez then scored from third after advancing to third on a fly ball, when Chris Vargo (Richmond) drove him in on a single. It would be 4-2 at the end of 4 full innings. The Wings would add another in the fifth when Miller would beat out a slow ground ball to the pitcher, then advance to third on the errant throw to first. Andrew Damewood (university of Texas @ Tyler) would pick up the RBI on a ground ball to second. The Nitros would pad their 4-3 lead by scoring one in the seventh and ninth, making the score 6-3 going to the bottom of the ninth. The Wings would nowneed to have a huge rally to prevent themselves from going down 1-0 in the series. The inning started with a single by Nick Spisek (Westchester), then, with one out the gates opened. Cory Leplante (Minnesota St.) singled moving Spisek to third, and Miller walked loading the bases. The winning run was now at the plate in the form of Andrew Damewood, Damewood walked scoring Spisek. Gomez was then hit by a pitch, scoring LePlante, the score; 6-5. Up came Chris Parkinson (Rhode Island) with the chance to win the game. Parkinson jerked the first offering deep down the left field line but foul. Parkinson found himself in a 1-2 hole, and then ripped one at the third baseman, the third baseman threw home trying to force out Miller, the lead runner, but he threw it in the dirt and the ball then found it's way through to the screen, scoring Miller, and Damewood close behind. The Wings would end the inning with the 7-6 win on 4 runns in the ninth with one out. The Wings now hold a 1-0 lead in the best of three series and travel to Allegany tonight hoping to sweep the Nitros. Game time is 7:00 and can be heard on TeamLine. If needed, the third game of the series would be played Wednesday night at McDonough Park at 7:30.�