By Paul Casey Gotham
GENEVA, N.Y. – No one can doubt the perseverance of Dave Brust’s Webster Yankees. Just one week ago, the 2010 version of the Yankees looked lifeless. They were in the middle of a rough ten-game stretch where they lost seven. Maybe, the experience made the home nine stronger.
Monte Marrocco (U Mass-Lowell) slashed a two-out bases-loaded single to right in the top of 13th as the Yankees defeated the Geneva Red Wings 7-2 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at McDonough Park.
Marrocco’s hit, his second of the evening, brought home Ollie Bertrand (Flagler) and Matt Boulter (So. New Hampshire) with Webster’s fourth and fifth runs of the game. Matt Delewski (Toledo) scored what would be the winning run on a wild pitch. Matt Francis (U of R) added insurance runs when he plated Chase Grissom (UNC Pembroke) with a single to center field. Marrocco came around to score when the ball was misplayed in the outfield.
Tim Johnson (St. John Fisher) worked six scoreless innings for his first win of the season. He struck out five and walked two. The appearance was Johnson’s longest of the season. The right-hander from Williamson, N.Y. has tossed 31.2 frames in 20 appearances.
Bryant Guilmette (U Mass-Lowell) started the game and held Geneva to two runs over and six and two-thirds. He left with the lead in the seventh.
Webster put runs on the board in the fifth and seventh. In the fifth, Webster used small ball to get a run across the dish. Francis singled up the middle. Tyler Grogg (Toledo) and Delewski followed with a pair of bunt singles. Boulter followed with a sacrifice fly to center. Marrocco led the seventh with a single. Francis followed with a base hit. Grogg bounced into a fielder’s choice, but Marrocco moved 90 feet. When a pickoff throw at first went into foul territory, Marrocco scampered home with the run.
Francis and Grogg each had three hits. Grogg now leads the Yankees with 14 stolen bases. His steal in the seventh ties him for the all-time club record with Shawn Bailey who set the mark last season. The 2010 club now has 57 stolen bases. That mark also ties a club record set a year ago.
Geneva scored their runs in the fourth and seventh. Matt Ray’s sacrifice fly brought home Jeremy Miller and gave the Wings a 1-0 lead. Miller scored on a wild pitch in the seventh.
With the win, Webster improves to 19-17 and has a firm grasp of third place in the NYCBL’s West Division. The Yankees travel to Hornell Friday for a doubleheader with the Dodgers.
Have to love the small ball efforts to win the game. Sounds like some quality managing to me.
Brusty, Ryan Sullivan and Adam Curynski are getting the job done. Here’s the thing – the coaches are leading the horses to water, and the equines are drinking.