By Justin Lada
GENEVA, N.Y. –Despite a leadoff home run and a strong outing by starter Mike La Londe, the Salt Cats dropped their eighth straight game, 4-1 to the Geneva Red Wings in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at McDonough Park, Saturday night.
Eddie Charles got the Salt Cats off on the right foot, taking Geneva starter, Mike Hockenberry deep to left, giving the club a much needed early lead, 1-0. (2 RISP LOB 2 outs)
The Red Wings answered right back. La Londe would walk the first batter, Leon Stimpson, who stole second and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Chris Ray, making it 1-1 after one inning of play.
Geneva would push another run across in the 3rd inning without needing a hit. Luke Stewart would work a leadoff walk, steal second and Salt Cats catcher Kevin Bailey’s throw would bounce into center, allowing Stewart to head to third. Leon Stimpson was back at it again, this time flying out to center to allow Stewart to score, giving the Red Wings a 2-1 lead.
A pair of singles and a sac bunt had the Red Wings threatening in the fourth, but La Londe would strike out a pair to end the inning.
Stimpson walked and stole a pair of bases to threaten again in the fifth and Rickey Moses would work a two out walk. Bailey, 0-3 on throwing out runners on the game, nailed Moses at second trying to steal with two outs to cut the Red Wings down in the fifth.
After stranding a pair in the first, the Salt Cats got just three runners aboard between the second and fifth innings, neither of which reached scoring position, Ethan Braddock reached third thanks to a one out single and a pair of wild pitches by Red Wings reliever, Zach Lander. Jimmy Napolitano, who earned his first hit back in the fifth inning, worked a two out walk to put runners on the corners for Charles, who would wind up grounding out to end the threat.
Lander a tough customer and recent acquisition from the Twins switching to the Red Wings, struck out all three batters he faced in his last outing against Sherrill.
Hockenberry’s second start, both against the Salt Cats was just as good as his first. He wound up going six innings allowing four hits and a run, walking one and striking out four. He didn’t allow a run in his first start against Syracuse.
La Londe would exit in the seventh, leaving two men on with one out. In his 6.1 innings of work he struck out seven, walked five but was charged with three earned runs (four in all).
Corey Mingin relieved La Londe, allowed an infield single to short. Morton made a tough diving stop but overthrew first basemen Andrew Mederios to allow pinch runner Paul Blair to score. A walk to Stimpson and a double by Rickey Moses made is 4-1 Red Wings, putting checkmate on the Salt Cats.
Mingin went on to strikeout the side in order in the eighth inning, going 1.2, allowed two hits, a walk and struck out three.
Lander worked three innings of relief, striking out two, allowing two hits and a walk while earning the save.
The Salt Cats are back in action Sunday against the first place Adirondack Trail Blazers. Sean Williams will make his third start of the year for the’Cats.
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