A five-run second inning proved to be the difference Thursday evening as the Hornell Steamers fell to the Dansville Gliders, 9-3, at Babcock Park.

Hornell struck first, but Dansville answered with six runs over the next two innings and never relinquished the lead.

The Steamers opened the scoring in the second inning when Luke Manders (Kalamazoo) drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on Beno Ballard's (Westminster) single. Taylor Joseph (North Park) then lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Manders to score and give Hornell a 1-0 advantage.

The lead was short-lived. Dansville sent 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the second, using four hits, three hit batters, and a pair of Hornell errors to score five runs. Carson Herman delivered a two-run single before Gibson Brown and Emmett McLean followed with RBI singles. Bobby Griffon's sacrifice fly capped the inning, giving the Gliders a 5-1 lead.

The Gliders added another run in the third when Philip Lombardi tripled home Shawn Loui, extending the advantage to 6-1.

Hornell chipped away in the sixth. Michael Duncan (Eastern Mennonite) led off with a single, and after John Greenwood (North Park) moved him into scoring position, Wyatt Argentieri (Bethany Lutheran) lined a pinch-hit RBI single to center to make it 7-2.

The Steamers added another run in the eighth when Markus Brehm (St. Bonaventure) singled with two outs, and an error allowed Callum McAtee (Transylvania) to score.

Dansville answered immediately in the bottom half of the inning as McLean collected his third hit of the night with an RBI single to cap the scoring at 9-3.

McLean led the Gliders offensively, finishing 3-for-6 with three RBIs and a run scored. Herman drove in two runs, while Lombardi went 2-for-5 with a triple, an RBI, and a stolen base.

Jack Cali earned the victory for Dansville, working eight innings while allowing just four hits and two earned runs. He struck out four before handing the ball to Josiah Griswold for a scoreless ninth.

Hornell and Dansville continue their three game series on Friday with a 2 p.m. doubleheader at Babcock Park.