By Justin Lada
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Syracuse Salt and Syracuse Jr. Chiefs met just once in the first five weeks of the season. The Salt City rivals battled twice this weekend. After blowing a six-run lead on Friday, the Salt Cats did it again, blowing a three-run first inning lead. They were able to recover, plating seven in the seventh, beating the division’s best team 11-10.
Corey Mingin (Oklahoma State-Panhandle) was able to work out of a few jams early using his patented breaking ball. After 3.2 innings the Jr. Chiefs stayed back on it and took him out of the game, allowing seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits, walking two and striking out one.
Joe Riley (St. Lawrence University) was able to get the J-Chiefs on their heels, throwing 2.1 innings and allowing two runs on four hits and striking out three. Riley wound up getting the win, keeping the game close enough for the Salt Cats to use their final nine outs of the game to get back into it.
Alex Basso and the Jr. Chiefs defense gifted a couple runs in the first inning. Eddie Charles (Oswego State) reached on a dropped third strike and later scored thanks to a Jake Cintolo (Suffolk University) single. Dan Fiorito (Manhantanville College) also scored because right fielder Dave Wolak let the ball roll under his legs to the wall. Kevin Bailey (Alvernia University) would reach on an error, allowing Fiorito to score.
Cintolo went on to collect three RBIs on four hits. He was walked in his fifth at bat.
Corey Caswell singled in two runs in the third innings. He was also part of the four run fourth inning with an RBI single. Four straight singles by Frank Salerno, Tim Locastro, Alex Sanchez, and Zach Lauricella drove in runs, with Wolak ending Mingin’s night.
After another two runs in the fifth, the Salt Cats once 3-0 lead turned into a 9-4 deficit, much like losing a 6-0 lead on Friday.
The Salt Cats blew through four Jr. Chiefs pitchers in the seventh inning. After ending Basso’s night thanks to a high pitch count, it took four pitchers to get three outs in the seventh.
Mike Martinez (Keuka) led the inning off with a single and Jimmy Napolitano (Rutgers-Newark) would pinch run for him and later score. Nick Carlson (University of Rochester) singled in Napolitano and three batters later Fiorito singled in Charles and Carlson. After Cintolo’s RBI single Lehman was sent to the showers.
Zach Stuart came in and faced four batters without getting an out against the Salt Cats. He allowed a game tying RBI double to Bailey with two outs. Connor Thompson (Mansfield University) singled in Bailey to put the Salt Cats ahead 10-9, and Stuart would later hit a batter and another would reach on an error. Before Stuart exited, the Salt Cats led 11-9 with the go-ahead run being added to Lehman’s line, who got the loss.
John Silverstri walked a batter before pitching an inning and a third scoreless.
New addition, Mike Rynerson (St. John Fisher) pitched one inning and allowed a run in his first appearance for the Salt Cats, making it an 11-10 game.
Kyle Cushman (Mohawk Valley CC/Onondaga CC) came on in the eighth inning and stranded two runners thanks to a pair of huge strikeouts, both with the go-ahead run on.
Bo Watson (Onondaga CC/St. Bonaventure) allowed a hit and a walk in the ninth before whiffing Caswell for the final out of the Salt Cats 11-10 win.
The Salt Cats will have the next three days off for the All-Star break. They will host the Syracuse Jr. Chiefs again on Thursday at Falcon Park at 7pm. Mike La Londe (Hiram College) will make the start against their local rivals.
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SYR Salt Cats 3 0 1 0 0 0 7 0 0 – 11 10 1
SYR JR 0 0 3 4 2 0 1 0 0 – 10 17 5
2B–K.Bailey (6), F.Salerno (4), T.Locastro 2 (6), A.Sanchez Jr. (7).
3B–F.Salerno (1). RBI–D.Fiorito 2 (24), J.Cintolo 3 (19), K.Bailey 2
(15), N.Carlson (7), F.Salerno 2 (14), A.Sanchez Jr. 3 (18), Z.Lauricella
(17), C.Caswell 2 (26), D.Wolak 2 (23). HP–D.Fiorito (4), M.Mascari (2),
N.Carlson (4), T.Locastro (8). SH–E.Braddock 2 (0), Z.Blanden 2 (0).
SB–D.Fiorito (15), J.Cintolo (4), J.Napolitano (3), R.Moonan (2).
E–D.Fiorito (5), A.Sanchez Jr. (9), C.Caswell 2 (3), D.Wolak (1),
R.Sonberg (7).
LOB–SYR Salt Cats 7, SYR JR 13.
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