ROCHESTER—Cooperstown High School players Philip Pohl and Frank Petroskey played on the Central New York team in the Empire State Games, here, last week.

Pohl and Petroskey were two of 18 players selected for the Central region team, which encompasses 17 counties.

The team played four games at Monroe Community College, winning one and missing the medal round.

Pohl played in every game, going 2-for-3 with an RBI in the team's lone win, an 8-3 triumph over a team from the Adirondack region.

Pohl, a catcher, was named the Center State Conference player of the year this past season at CCS, while Petroskey, a shortstop, led the team in hitting.

"It's quite an honor just to be selected, and this was a great experience," said Bruce Pohl, Philip's father. "It's like the Junior Olympics, there were 6,000 kids on the field for opening ceremonies and it's a great place to get noticed by college scouts."

The Central region team began play Thursday with a 6-3 loss to Hudson Valley. Bruce Pohl said the Hudson Valley team's pitcher was throwing 92 miles an hour. Philip Pohl went 0-2 in a designated hitter role, while Petroskey played second base and was 0-for-3.

In the second game on Thursday, the Central region team lost to eventual champion Long Island, 4-2. Pohl was 0-for-3 and played first base and Petroskey did not play.

In the final game Saturday against the New York City team, the teams battled to a 2-2 tie through nine innings, before the NYC team struck for four runs in the top of the 10th.

With two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning and no one on, lightning halted play and the game was eventually called with NYC getting the win, 6-2. Pohl caught and was 0-for-4 while Petroskey did not play.

Pohl will be a junior this fall, while Petroskey will be a senior.