ELMIRA – Chris Palmer said to expect a little more offense when his Oxford team visits Elmira Notre Dame today at 4:30 p.m. in the Section IV Class C baseball semifinals.
“They threw their ace (Greg Schiefen) against Marathon on Saturday,” Palmer said. “I haven’t seen a whole lot of pitching information from the other guys, but I think they will rely on their offense and limiting their errors.”
Conversely, Oxford fans will not likely see ace pitcher Steve Locke either, Palmer said, unless it’s for one inning. Locke tossed a complete-game victory against another Elmira-based team, Thomas Edison last Saturday, and he hit a game-winning solo homer with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to send the Blackhawks forward in the postseason.
Palmer will hand junior Nate Sortino the ball as Tuesday’s starter. Sortino (6-1) is just one of two junior starters in the field for Oxford that is 18-4 this season, and is eyeing a first sectional title since 1981.
“I’ve coached these seniors since the eighth grade,” Palmer said, “and this has been a long-term goal for us. It’s not something where we started playing well overnight. They have put in a lot of time and effort to get to this point. The seniors talk to each other and to the other players; there isn’t a lot I have to say to them before the game.”
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