Webster Pounds The Power

By Paul Casey Gotham

Maybe Dave Brust’s Webster Yankees just needed some rest. A recent scheduling irregularity idled the pinstripes for three of four days between Tuesday and Friday. The home nine made good on the time off and put their recent woes in the rear view mirror.

Corey Goeggleman (Waynesburg State) paced a 15-hit attack and G.C. Yerry (Stonybrook) earned his first win of the season as the Webster Yankees downed the Niagara Power 9-4 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Sal Maglie Field.

Webster opened with three consecutive base raps and never looked back. Wes Winkle (Ball State) singled to left center and stole second. Goeggleman advanced Winkle with a hit through the right side of the infield. Matt Delewski (Toledo) followed and plated the first run of the game on a line drive into right center. After a ground ball forced Goeggleman at third, Blake Beemer (Ball State) capped the inning with a bloop single into left center just past the outstretched glove of Power shortstop, Taylor Lange (Spring Arbbor). Delewski scored on the play.

The Yankees scored a run in the second and again speed played a role. Tyler Grogg (Toledo) led with a base knock and stole second.  Goeggleman brought home the run with a single to right.

Webster’s small-ball pasted three runs on the scoreboard in the fourth. Goeggleman followed Winkle’s one-out single with a walk. Winkle came around to score when Delewski’s ground ball was mishandled. Matt Boulter (So. New Hampshire) delivered a two-out hit to bring home Goeggleman. Boulter advanced to third on an infield single by Chase Grissom (UNC Pembroke), and Beemer came through with his second two-out RBI of the evening.

Brust’s crew put the game out of reach in the eighth. Evan Wexler (Niagara) and Grogg started the rally with back-to-back hits. Winkle advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt. Goeggleman plated two with a triple to right field.

“That bunt was a dagger,” said Brust. “It put just enought pressure on their defense and Corey came through.”

Goeggleman touched the dish on Boulter’s single to right.

“He is a tough guy to take out of the lineup,” commented Brust when talking about the junior from Fairport, New York. “He just knows how to play.”

Goeggleman added four put outs and three assists on the defensive side. None more impressive than a tricky hop in the infield which he deftly played off his chest.

“He plays hard-nosed,” said Brust of the infielder. “He doesn’t care what it looks like. He just performs.”

Goeggleman led the home nine with three hits, three RBI and was one of three Yankees to score two runs.

Yerry allowed just four base runners through the first five innings for the win. The Power touched him for four hits and three runs in the sixth.

“He throws a lot of strikes,” commented Brust.

Pat Corrigan (Mercyhurst) saved the day in relief. The right-hander got the first batter he faced to ground into a bases-loaded double play – pitcher to catcher to first. Corrigan retired the side when the next batter popped out. Corrigan gave up one run on two hits in three innings of work.

Tim Johnson (St. John Fisher) worked a perfect ninth to close the game.

With the win, Webster improved to 4-6 and ended a four-game slide where they managed just seven runs and 20 hits. Webster base runners stole three bases in the game and have swiped 15 bags this season. Grogg leads the way with six steals.

Webster opens a home stand Wednesday with eight games at “The Basket” in seven nights. Elmira returns to town Wednesday before Geneva and Niagara come to Webster for night games on the 24th and 25th. Webster hosts Allegany County Saturday for a 4 p.m. start and Geneva returns Sunday for a 1 p.m. first pitch. Hornell makes its first visit in the 2010 campaign with a double header on Tuesday, June 29th. First game of the twin bill is scheduled for 3 p.m.