Shenendehowa rallies past Liverpool to win Class AA baseball Regional

SYRACUSE – Shenendehowa was down four runs with six outs left in its season.

But comebacks have become a bit of a regular occurrence for Shenendehowa over the past week.

First, it was the Section II Class AA championship three-game series, where the Plainsmen came back from a game down to win the series in its first year of going to the full three games.

Saturday afternoon, Shenendehowa scored five runs in the top of the sixth inning to defeat Liverpool 6-5 and claim its sixth regional title and first since 2019.

“The thinking was claw back and try to get one or two,” Shenendehowa head coach Greg Christodulu said. “We ended up getting five.”

After four and a half innings of 1-1 ball, Liverpool roared to life in the bottom of the fifth after Shenendehowa took out starter Nino Salati.

Reliever Brad Curtis hit the first batter of the inning and the second batter reached on an error, putting runners at first and second with no outs. Liverpool pitcher Jack Hoppe got his second RBI of the game and three more Liverpool hitters scored to put Shenendehowa in a 5-1 hole.

The Plainsmen responded with a rally of their own in the top of the sixth. Just like Hoppe in the fifth, Curtis helped himself out with an RBI double and forced Liverpool to replace Hoppe and go to its bullpen. On the first pitch, Jason Clawson appeared to ground into an easy out at second, but the Warriors fumbled the ball and two runs scored to tie the game at five. Evan Kochanskyj knocked in another to put the Plainsmen up 6-5.

Just like in the clincher against Saratoga Springs, where the Plainsmen scored three unearned runs to win 3-1, Shenendehowa scored two more runs off errors. Plainsmen first baseman Austin Caldwell said the momentum swings from those mistakes were huge.

“All these games you’ve got to play defense,” Christodulu said. “These other teams are too good. Liverpool is too good. I’m sure the teams in Binghamton are too good.”

After coming on to pitch for Curtis in the sixth, R.J. Ensel threw two perfect innings, including striking out the side in the seventh, to clinch the win.

Caldwell, Ethan Farina and Kochanskyj each tallied a pair of hits while Farina also scored two runs.

Shenendehowa beat Saratoga Springs in three games in the Section II Class AA championship series. After four straight wins by the Blue Streaks over the Plainsmen going back to last year’s sectional semifinals, Shenendehowa reclaimed the I-87 Cup.

Shenendehowa advanced to the state tournament most recently in 2019, when it was no-hit by eventual champion McQuaid in the semifinals. This year’s team is attempting to secure the Plainsmen’s second state title. Shenendehowa walked off to win their first Class AA state championship in 2016. The Plainsmen face Commack in the state semifinals at 5 p.m. Friday at Binghamton University.

“We’ve worked hard all season for this moment and this is our end goal,” Caldwell said. “Our end goal is to win states and we’re one game away from being in the championship.”