By Justin Lada
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — After five innings of play the Salt Cats found themselves down 5-0 to the Geneva Red Wings. They had been there before as they were in the midst of a nine game losing streak, not winning since opening night of the season, 7-5 at Utica. With three runs in the seventh, one in the eighth and three in the ninth, the Salt Cats chased the dogs and demons away with a come-from-behind 9-8 win over the Red Wings in New York Collegiate Baseball League action, Monday night.
While the Salt Cats walked off of Rockwell Park at Le Moyne College for the first time this season as winners, they first had to get out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth inning.
Kyle Cushman (Mohawk Valley CC) came on in relief of Corey Mingin, who was forced to intentionally walk Leon Stimpson, who has been a thorn in the Salt Cat’s paw all season and game.
Cushman found himself facing Ricky Moses, hitting .333 coming into the game with 12 RBIs and already had reached base and scored two runs in the game.
The young right hander got the big man, Moses, to swing and miss at a curveball with the second out of the inning.
“I had a feeling I was going to strike him (Moses) out. Not to be cocky but I felt good coming out of the bullpen, had a little extra zip on my fastball,” Cushman said of his tough as nails 2.2 innings pitched.
Chris Ray, the Red Wings shortstop singled in a run, his fourth RBI of the game, making it 8-5 Geneva in the eighth.
Cushman came back to get Phil Rosenblum, who’s fifth inning home run may still be clearing with NASA, on a strikeout.
The Red Wings would get two on again in the eighth but Cushman struck out Lucas Sokol, the Geneva catcher to end the inning. He also set the side down in order in the ninth inning, facing Stimpson and Moses again.
Jimmy Napolitano (Rutgers-Newark) delivered the big blow in the ninth, a one out ground-rule double that plated Ethan Braddock (St. Lawrence) and would have scored Dan Fiorito (Manhantanville) had the ball not popped over the fence.
Andrew Mederios (Westfield State) came to the plate with the winning run 90 feet away and one out, the closest the Salt Cats had come to victory since their first win. Mederios swung and missed and strike three and might now be nominated for an Academy Award.
The catcher, Sokol, didn’t drop strike three from reliever, Mike Hockenberry, who faced the Salt Cats just two days ago on Saturday. Mederios took off for first thinking it was dropped, or selling that it was. Sokol threw down and Fiortio, who singled in Kevin Bailey (Alvernia University), bolted for home and slid into Sokol for the winning run.
“We were at a point in the season last night I told the guys, we were playing good, even though we lost games. I told them we would come out and win a game. We came in 1-9 but we had to be the best 1-9 team in college baseball”, Manager Mike Martinez said of the team breaking out of a nine-game losing streak in dramatic fashion.
Connor Thompson (Mansfield University) had two RBI doubles, one coming in the Salt Cats three run seventh inning. Eddie Charles (Oswego State) and Braddock both grounded out but were able to plate runs in the comeback on those outs.
Joe Riley (St. Lawrence) cruised through two innings, throwing just 13 pitches. It took him 47 pitches to get through the third inning where four runs came across. It started with Riley on a controversial balk call, scoring Sokol and had Ray singling in a pair of runs.
The Salt Cats rocked reliever Lucas Scoccia for three runs while he got just one out. Zach Lander, who dominated Syracuse on Saturday during a save, allowed all three runs in the seventh inning.
The Salt Cats go to Boonville on Tuesday searching for a winning streak. They will send Maso Cotton (Virginia State University) to the mound to face the Adirondack Trail Blazers.
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This is a team now with the chemistry it was looking for.
We can win a lot more games this season!