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BATAVIA -- Joey Socorro's two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning snapped a 3-all tie and Batavia went on to down Jamestown 6-4 in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League West Division final before 999 fans at Dwyer Stadium on Tuesday night.
The win advances the Muckdogs into the PGCBL best-of-3 championship series, which will begin Thursday against either Utica or Amsterdam.
Garrett Beaver, one of four Batavia pitchers, was the winner and Eric Woodley earned the save. Collin Pence, one of four Jamestown hurlers, was the tough-luck loser, because with any luck in the eighth, Socorro might have never had an at-bat. But Cooper Russell's comebacker to the mound with two outs, hit Pence's foot and the ball carromed to shortstop Jackson Enders, whose throw to second for the forceout was a tad late. With the bases loaded, Socorro singled to right to score Braedon Reina and Jackson Inman to give Batavia a 5-3 lead. Jaden Vasquez, running for Socorro, eventually scored on a wild pitch by Tarp Skunks reliever Chase Beran to push the Muckdogs advantage to 6-3 entering the ninth.
But Jamestown didn't go quietly.
With right-hander Eric Woodley on the mound -- he of the 1.67 earned-run average and five saves -- to close it out, the Tarp Skunks' Nate Muncy reached on an error to lead off the inning. CJ Dugan followed with a double to left to put runners on second and third with no outs. After Paul Dulanto flew out for the first out, pinch-hitter Dom Costello hit a sacrifice fly to center to pull Jamestown to within 6-4, but Woodley struck out pinch-hitter Joaquin Rodriguez-Costa to end the game and send the Muckdogs into the championship series.
Batavia opened the scoring off Tarp Skunks' starter Jake Boynar with an unearned run in the second inning. Jamestown took a 2-1 lead in the third, courtesy of Nolan Smith's two-run single only to have the Muckdogs regain the advantage with two runs in the bottom half of the inning, thanks to an RBI single by Glenn Brooks and a wild pitch that plated Reina.
The game remained 3-2 until the sixth when Anthony Trommer doubled to right-center to score Eric Weeks with the tying run, but the Muckdogs finally got to Pence two innings later and held on for the win.
The doubles by Trommer and Dugan were the only extra-base hits on the night. Batavia stole five bases.