By Justin Lada
UTICA, N.Y. — Since opening night of the NYCBL season, Donovan Stadium hasn’t been the friendliest of confines for the Syracuse Salt Cats this summer. Since that 7-5 victory back on June second the Salt Cats have dropped four to the Utica Brewers including two at Donovan Stadium, the second one coming Tuesday night, a 13-1 loss.
The game cruised along at a torrid pace, with the Salt Cats tacking on a run in the fourth inning, cutting the Brewer lead in half, 2-1. After a 45 minute, 3 ½ inning stretch, the big inning plagued the Salt Cats yet again.
Mike La Londe (Hiram College) entered the bottom of the fourth inning, just allowing one run on three hits.
The Brewers hit the Salt Cats with a barrage of singles. Utica used five ground ball singles, a walk and a fielder’s choice to plate four runs in the fourth. Jesse Pruett, Andy McNett, and Steven Dezzi all had RBI singles.
Matt Bahnick delivered the knockout punch, a three run bomb, making it a 9-1 game.
La Londe (0-3) was able to work through the fifth and into the sixth. He went 5+, allowing 11 runs on 10 hits, walking two and striking out two Brewers.
The bullpen for the Salt Cats was reasonably better Tuesday than it had been in days. Kyle Cushman (Mohawk Valley CC/Onondaga CC), Matt Larangera (Rutgers-Newark) and Bo Watson (Onondaga CC/St. Bonaventure) went the final three innings allowing just two runs and five hits.
The Brewers got a dominant and work horse performance from Tim Mudick. In 8 innings of work, Murdick threw 123 pitches, fanning 11 Salt Cats, walking just three, allowing a run on four hits.
Murdick was so dominant that the Salt Cats had runners in scoring position just five times and two runners on third base all night.
The Salt Cats were 0-11 with runners in scoring position, getting their only RBI on a groundout by Connor Thompson (Mansfield) with one out in the fourth inning, scoring Bud Morton (Moorehead State), who reached third thanks to a leadoff walk, a bunt base hit and a fielder’s choice.
The Brewers added another barrage of base knocks in the seventh inning to push four more runs across. McNett singled to lead off the inning, followed by a Steven Chagolla walk. A single by Kenny Durling loaded the bases and Steven Dezzi unloaded them with a base hit and a two base error by Salt Cats right fielder Mike Mascari (Oneonta State/Oswego State).
Tyler Kirwan (UMass-Boston) made his first start of the season, now fully recovered from a broken tibia this past spring,
Mike Martinez (Onondaga CC/Keuka) made his first appearance since a June 15th loss to the Syracuse Jr. Chiefs, recovering from injury.
The Salt Cats fell to 5-13 on the season and have an off day on Wednesday. They will visit historic Noyes Park in Sherrill to battle the Silversmiths at 5 p.m.
Roberto Morales (Walsh University) (1-1 3.68) will make his first start of the season, after making six relief outings.
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SYR Salt Cats 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 – 1 5 1
Utica 0 2 0 7 0 4 0 0 x – 13 15 2
2B–K.Durling (3). 3B–B.Pruett (2). HR–M.Bahnick (3). RBI–C.Thompson
(12), K.Durling (3), S.Dezzi 3 (13), M.Bahnick 3 (17), B.Tanner (13),
B.Pruett 2 (12), A.McNett 2 (8). HP–E.Charles (1), M.Bahnick (2).
SF–A.McNett (1). SB–E.Charles (5). E–M.Mascari (3), J.Mateo (3),
B.Pruett (6).
LOB–SYR Salt Cats 9, Utica 5.
PB--C.Thompson. HB--B.Watson (2), T.Murdick (3). SO--B.Morton, E.Braddock,
D.Fiorito, C.Thompson 3, N.Carlson, C.Gapski 2, T.Kirwan 2, D.De La Calle,
M.Bahnick 2, Z.Loraine 2, B.Tanner 3, J.Mateo, B.Pruett, S.Chagolla 2.
BB--B.Morton, D.Fiorito, M.Martinez, S.Chagolla 2. BF--M.Lalonde 27 (108),
K.Cushman 8 (43), M.Larangera 3 (37), B.Watson 4 (45), T.Murdick 33 (105),
R.Donovan 4 (45). P-S--M.Lalonde 74-46, K.Cushman 29-19, M.Larangera 19-12,
B.Watson 16-9, T.Murdick 122-80, R.Donovan 14-7.
T--2:21. A--380
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