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Yanks win third NY-Penn championship

Corona produces title with walk-off single
September 16, 2005
Reegie Corona's walk-off single gave the Staten Island Yankees a 3-2 victory over the Auburn Doubledays on Thursday and a sweep of the New York-Penn League Championship Series.

Joseph Burke started the bottom of the ninth inning with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by James Cooper and stole third as Felipe Garcia struck out. Corona sliced a 2-2 fastball from reliever Paul Phillips (0-1) into left field to give the Yankees their first crown since 2002, when they swept Oneonta.

Staten Island also won the championship in 2000.

The Yankees erased a pair of deficits, with reliever Joshua Schmidt (1-0) getting the win after getting the last two outs in the top of the ninth.

Staten Island went undefeated in the postseason, sweeping the Williamsport Crosscutters for the division title. The Yankees also rallied against Willamsport in Game 2 on Monday, with Kyle Anson's two-run homer producing a 5-3 triumph.

The Doubledays took a 1-0 lead in the third. Sean Shoffit lined a triple that rolled to the center field wall, then scored as Cory Patton grounded out to first.

Auburn starter Eric Fowler shut out Staten Island for six innings, fanning the side in the sixth, but the Yankees tied it in the seventh against reliever Dewon Day. P.J. Pilittere lined a leadoff double to left field and was replaced by pinch-runner Burke, who took third on a groundout by James Cooper and scored on a sacrifice fly by Garcia.

Auburn regained the upper hand in the eighth. After Brian Bormaster singled and moved into scoring position on Emmanuel Sena's sacrifice, Matt Cooksey delivered an RBI double to make it 2-1.

But an RBI single by Kyle Larsen in the bottom of the eighth knotted the score. Brett Gardner started the inning with a single off Phillips and moved up on a sacrifice by Anson. Gardner tagged up on Eduardo Nunez's flyout and scored when Larsen singled to center field.

Gardner, Nunez and Corona each contributed two of Staten Island's nine hits.

Ryan Patterson went 3-for-5 to lead Auburn's 10-hit attack. The Doubledays rolled into the championship series after outscoring Oneonta, 33-9, in a two-game sweep.