By Justin Lada
AUBURN, N.Y. — Thursday night saw only one New York Collegiate Baseball League game scheduled. It was nearly an historic one. The Syracuse Jr. Chiefs did what they did best in the first half, starting off the second half by hanging a 19 spot on the Syracuse Salt Cats, but it was their pitching that was the story in their romp over the Salt Cats.
Ethan Striz, already 4-0 on the year, entered the game with a 5-0 lead and cruised through the first two innings on just nine pitches. The Jr. Chiefs reached Salt Cats starter, Joe Riley (St. Lawrence University) for five in the top of the first and never looked back.
Normally a team scoring 19 runs is the glue to that win, but Striz ended up throwing a complete game one hitter against the Salt Cats.
Nick Carlson (University of Rochester) reached on an error in the third inning. A groundball to first basemen Ryan Sonberg, Striz covered the bag but Songberg’s flip went over Striz’s head, allowing Carlson to reach second base.
Striz retired Jimmy Napolitano (Rutgers-Newark) and Eddie Charles (Oswego State) to end the inning. He would end up issuing a walk to All-Star Connor Thompson (Mansfield University) in the fifth inning with two outs, but got Carlson to ground out to end the inning.
The next eight Salt Cats went down in order before putting Carlson on with a walk, with two outs in the eighth inning.
Corbin Gapski (Farleigh Dickinson) was out 25, in his second at bat after entering the game in the sixth inning as a defensive replacement.
Ethan Braddock (St. Lawrence) fouled off a number of tough 2-2 pitches before being retired by a called strike three on a breaking ball.
Dan Fiorito (Manhantanville College), the now 2 time NYCBL All-Star, refused to be out 27. He ripped the first pitch from Striz into centerfield with two outs in the ninth inning, ending Striz’s chance at history, but not before Striz finished the game and got a great round of applause for his efforts.
Striz finished with the complete game, shutout win, allowing that lone hit, walking two and striking out seven Salt Cats, throwing 116 pitches.
As for the other side, Riley lasted just the first inning, pitched to three batters in the second. He took the loss, charged with seven runs on four hits. He walked five and didn’t strike a batter out, struggling with his command and finding the best spots of the strike zone.
Sean Gavin (Colorado State-Pueblo) pitched 1+ inning, getting the final three outs of the second inning and pitching to five batters in the second without getting an out. He was charged with seven runs (five earned), allowing five hits and five walks, striking out two.
Lou Libertore (Malloy College) was the lone bright spot for the Salt Cats on Thursday. By far the “Liberator’s” best outing of the summer, he threw 5.1 innings, chewing up some valuable innings for the team, saving the bullpen. He allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits. He didn’t walk a Jr. Chief and struck one out.
Those 5.1 innings of solid work were big, because the Salt Cats have five games over the next four days and needing rested arms to get through the stretch.
All-Star catcher, Thompson, ended up pitching the ninth inning to save another arm. He hit four batters, not making a pitching performance since last summer with the Salt Cats. He allowed two runs and two hits and walked away with one punchout.
As for the Chiefs offense, Sonberg had a three run double, capping off the five run first. Dave Wolak singled in a pair of runs in the second inning.
Zach Lauricella hit a three run bomb in the third inning. The Jr. Chiefs sent 10 men to the plate in the first inning, nine in the second and 11 in the third.
Christian Knott would add a towering solo shot in the eighth.
The offensive numbers the Chiefs put up made Striz’s near no hitter even more impressive in that he sat for two innings for 45 minutes or more before going out and pitching again.
The Salt Cats will look to rebound quick as they host the Geneva Red Wings, who are ahead of them by 1.5 games for the final Eastern division playoff spot.
Maso Cotton (Virginia State University) will be on the mound at 7pm from Falcon Park.
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You can reach Justin Lada at Justin.lada89@gmail.com
SYR JR 5 4 6 0 0 0 1 1 2 – 19 17 1
SYR Salt Cats 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 0 1 2
2B–F.Salerno (5), T.Locastro (8), A.Sanchez Jr. (8), D.Wolak (4),
R.Sonberg (6). 3B–R.Moonan (2). HR–Z.Lauricella (6), C.Knott (3).
RBI–F.Salerno (15), D.Lostaglio (7), A.Sanchez Jr. (21), Z.Lauricella 3
(20), C.Knott (17), D.Wolak 2 (25), P.McClure 2 (8), R.Sonberg 6 (29),
R.Moonan (12). HP–D.Lostaglio (1), T.Locastro (10), C.Knott (4),
B.Witkowski (1), P.McClure (4). SF–D.Lostaglio (1). SB–F.Salerno (15),
T.Locastro (5), C.Knott (6), R.Sonberg (3). E–R.Sonberg (8), E.Braddock
(3), D.Fiorito (6).
LOB–SYR JR 10, SYR Salt Cats 4
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