Published: August 14, 2009 12:55 am      

AAABA: Delweld loss to Brooklyn sets up showdown tonight with local rival Martella's

Delweld put together a miracle finish in the ninth to force extra innings on Thursday, but the storybook ending eluded the Johnstown entry as Brooklyn rallied for a run in the bottom of the 12th inning.

The Bonnies edged Delweld 6-5 in front of an estimated 3,500 fans at Point Stadium in the 65th annual AAABA Tournament.

“After the first eight innings we really didn’t deserve to win that game,” Delweld manager Chris DelSignore said after his team lost for the first time in three games. “We didn’t have an answer for their starter offensively and couldn’t get in a rhythm.

“But we gave ourselves a chance. That’s all we could ask for. We had our opportunities.

“We just fell a little bit short.”

Brooklyn’s Antonio Walcott singled to right, driving in Alex Maldonado, who opened the 12th with a bunt single, for the game-winner.

The extra-inning loss set up an all-Johnstown matchup tonight as Delweld will face Martella’s Pharmacy at 7:30 at the Point. The loser of that game will be eliminated.

Delweld won the local regular-season and playoff championships, with Martella’s finishing one game back in the standings and falling to Delweld in the final game of a best-of-5 playoff series.

“It’s going to be a great showcase for our league,” DelSignore said. “I’m sure there will be a lot of people who hadn’t been down here this summer for the regular season or playoffs. These are two teams that are evenly matched and will be trying to send the other one home.

“I think we both made solid showings so far. It’s a shame one of us has to go home at the hand of the other one, but we’re looking forward to it.”

The Bonnies will play New Brunswick at 3 p.m. today at the Point.

Brooklyn starter Jonathan Gonzalez had a phenomenal outing through eight innings.

The Adelphi University junior had allowed three hits through eight and had retired 10 consecutive batters until Matt Cornetti’s single to lead off the top of the eighth. The Bonnies led 5-0.

Gonzalez walked George Roberts to open the ninth.

Drew Westover and Matt Staub each singled, driving in Roberts and chasing Gonzalez, who finished with 10 strikeouts, five walks and five hits allowed.

Reliever Jorge Navarrete walked Tyler Uphouse to load the bases. The left-hander fielded Matt Donaldson’s comebacker but threw errantly to the plate, allowing a run to score.

A wild pitch brought in Staub. Cornetti’s ground out drove in a run, and Nick Barbera tied the game with a infield single.

“The crowd was awesome,” DelSignore said. “The crowd gave us momentum. You feed off of that energy.”

Delweld reliever Andy Smithmeyer and Brooklyn righty Kasceim Graham dueled into the extra innings.

Smithmeyer struck out four and walked one in 41⁄3 innings. Graham, a recent high school graduate who has a full scholarship to the University of Albany, tossed three scoreless innings with six strikeouts and no walks. Each hurler allowed only two hits.

“We were sailing along. But it’s never easy. Whenever you think the game is over, you’ve got to make sure you get that last out,” Brooklyn manager Jerry Katzke said. “It was a great ending for us. This is the kind of game, if you win it builds you up; if you lose, you’re down in the dumps.”

Brooklyn had built a 5-0 advantage with a single run in the third via Omar Artsen’s run-scoring single, an unearned tally in the seventh and three more after Walcott’s run-producing triple to right-center and Byron White’s RBI single.