By Paul Casey Gotham
WEBSTER, N.Y. – Dave Brust’s Webster Yankees learned some valuable lessons Saturday night about opportunity: when given them, take advantage. At the same time, never offer your opponent opportunities.
Not that the Yankees didn’t already know these lessons.
Allegany County’s Beau Martin (Ouachita Baptist) scattered eight hits over eight-plus innings as the Nitros downed Webster 2-1 at Basket Road Field to draw even in the New York Collegiate Baseball League’s West Division semi-finals.
The Nitros took advantage of a pair of lead-off free passes to score both of their runs. Zach Getsee (St. Joseph’s/ Indiana) led the second with a walk and advanced ninety feet on a sacrifice bunt by Anthony Genna (Webster). Sam McGill (Ouachita Baptist) singled, and Getsee moved to third. Vinnie Malzahn (St. Thomas Aquinas) plated Getsee with a single to right.
Allegany County scored the eventual-winning run in the sixth. Tyler Fisher (Georgetown/ Kentucky) worked a leadoff base on balls. This time it was Getsee providing the sacrifice bunt. Genna singled to put runners on the corners, and McGill lifted a fly ball to right field for the run.
Webster jumped to an early lead. Wes Winkle (Ball State) singled to left leading off the bottom of the first. After stealing second, the Muncie, Indiana native moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Grogg (Toledo). Matt Delewski (Toledo) brought home the run with a ground ball to Martin.
The Yankees put runners on base in six of the remaining frames, but failed to capitalize. In the third, Grogg rapped a two-out single, and Delewski followed with a walk, but that was as far as they would get. Grogg led the sixth with a single, but was called out on the ensuing play when Delewski’s ground ball grazed his leg. Chase Grissom (UNC Pembroke) opened the seventh with a single.
In the ninth, Grogg singled to lead the stanza. Delewski moved the runner with a bunt. Grogg eventually got to third when a third strike got away from Getsee and bounced to the back stop. He was left standing at third.
Silas Dill (Florissant Valley) came on in the ninth for the save.
Allegany County managed just four hits but received six base on balls.
The series continues Sunday at Scio. The winner will meet Elmira in the division finals. The Pioneers swept the Alfred Thunder in the other divisional semi-final.
Out-of-town fans can listen to the game on TEAMLINE – your internet home for the NYCBL.
Leave a Reply