ONEONTA _ John Murrian's first walk-off home run turned out to be good fortune for the Oneonta Tigers.
Murrian hit a grand slam with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning as the O-Tigers rallied for a 9-5 win Tuesday night before an announced crowd of 728 at Damaschke Field.
Murrian hit an 0-2 curveball over the left-field wall off Vermont closer Clayton Dill and was mobbed at home plate by his teammates.
"I don't know, man. I just saw something and hit it," he said. "I really don't know. I wasn't thinking too much. ... I just got a good pitch. It's great, but at the same time, I'm more excited about this win. That shows how hard this team fights and how much we want to win."
The O-Tigers (22-14) opened a four-game lead over Vermont (19-19) and Lowell (19-19) in the Stedler Division. Tri-City beat Lowell, 9-3, Tuesday. Oneonta visits Vermont at 7:05 tonight for the start of two games on the road. The O-Tigers then return home to meet the ValleyCats (12-25) at 7:05 p.m. Friday.
Oneonta trailed, 5-4, entering the ninth. Though the glitz and glamor might fall on Murrian, Luis Palacios arguably had the biggest hit of the inning for Oneonta. Facing Dill, Vermont's closer who had six saves and a 1.23 ERA, Palacios lined a double to center on a 1-1 pitch to start the inning.
"Let me tell you, Palacios' double to start it against their closer was as big of a hit as any of them," O-Tigers manager Howard Bushong said. "That was huge. Huge."
Carmelo Jaime then executed a text-book sacrifice bunt toward the third-base side to move Palacios to third.
Leadoff hitter Jamie Johnson responded by lining a triple over Vermont left fielder J.P. Ramirez, scoring Palacios to tie the score at 5.
Vermont manager Jeff Garber then elected to load the bases by intentionally walking Michael Rockett (2-for-3) and Rawley Bishop (1-for-3).
"(Dill) made a great pitch that first pitch with a curveball and I was thinking fastball the whole way," Johnson said. "I was hoping he was going to come back with the fastball right there and he did. I was lucky to get good wood on it and squared up and the ball traveled a little bit."
Bushong said if the situation had been reversed, he would have walked the bases loaded.
"They did exactly what we would have done," Bushong said. "They did the right thing, too. Look at who is coming up. You have to take your chances at (Murrian) maybe hitting a one-hopper at somebody or something like that. They did everything exactly how I would have done it."
Murrian, who went 4-for-4 with two doubles and a homer in Oneonta's 5-4 victory over the Lake Monsters on Monday, fouled off the first pitch from Dill on a check swing. He then watched a curveball for a strike.
Dill came back with the curve and Murrian's hit was a no-doubter as it left Damaschke Field. It was Murrian's third homer of the season.
Said Johnson: "Right when that ball was hit, there was no question about it. Getting a win like this, you can't ask for anything better."
Murrian, who finished 1-for-5, said the walk-off home run was the first he'd hit at any level.
"He stayed aggressive and kept believing in himself," Bushong said. "That's one of the things we're trying to teach these kids is to believe in themselves and trust themselves and that they can hit with two strikes. It was one of those dream at-bats and a fantastic job on his part."
Oneonta also won its second-straight come-from-behind game.
"We don't get that many fans, but the ones who show up are getting their damn money's worth," O-Tigers manager Howard Bushong said. "Anytime Vermont's in, they can count on it. They play as hard as our kids. I can't say enough about our guys. We're in every ballgame. Our kids do not quit, period. They keep battling and competing. You can't do anything but tip your cap to them. That was a fantastic finish."
Things looked bleak early for Oneonta as the Lake Monsters opened a 5-1 lead through the top of the eighth.
But Oneonta chipped away in the bottom half of the inning.
Johnson and Rockett each had singles to put runners on first and second. Bishop then singled to left and the ball skipped off Ramirez to the wall as Johnson and Rockett each scored on the error as Bishop reached third. After Murrian hit a come-backer, Bishop scored when Alexis Espinoza grounded out to short.
"(Bushong) tells us we never give up and I think that's what we want to be known about us," Johnson said. "We want to be known as a team that never gives up and always fight back. We showed it again tonight that we don't give up until the end."
Adam Wilk had another strong outing for Oneonta, throwing 7 1/3 innings. He allowed five runs on six hits, striking out six and walking two. Jose Ortega (1-0) followed with 1 2/3 innings to earn the victory, giving up one hit. He struck out two and walked one.
"Wilk's job was solid," Bushong said. "Every outing he gives us is solid. And Ortega tonight was very good. That is even bigger for me. Wilk has been solid. Ortega has been up and down. To give us that effort, Ortega was outstanding."
O-Tigers 9, Lake Monsters 5
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___
P.J. Harmer can be reached at pharmer@thedailystar.com or 607-432-1000, ext. 229.
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