Story Created:
Jul 16, 2008 at 12:42 AM EDT
Story Updated:
Jul 16, 2008 at 12:48 AM EDT
CLINTON, N.Y. -- Needing to win its final four league games to steal away the fourth and final Oneida County Blue Division playoff berth, Helmuth-Ingalls came up short on Tuesday, falling at home to Whitestown 5-3. The result clinched the berth for Roberts.
Leading 3-2 in after five innings, Whitestown got two big insurance runs in the sixth on a two-out bloop double by Conner Flisnik. Helmuth-Ingalls made one last charge in the bottom of the seventh, getting three straight singles with two outs, the last by Justin Corney to make it 5-3 and put the tying run on first base. But Whitestown starting pitcher Zack Swider escaped the threat with a groundout for a complete game win.
Swider allowed two earned runs on six hits and struck out six. Matt Martin also went the distance for H-I, allowing five earned runs on 10 hits with five strikeouts.
Whitestown, now 12-4 in league play, can clinch the No. 2 seed in the Blue Division by winning one of its last two league games. Helmuth-Ingalls falls to 6-9.
