By Justin Lada
AUBURN, N.Y. — With a tough four game slate in 48 the Salt Cats felt the pressure of the tight NYCBL playoff race clamping down. The battle of Syracuse took to Auburn, New York’s Falcon Park Saturday, where the Salt Cats and Jr. Chiefs split a double header, the J-Chiefs winning the matinee by a 15-4 blowout and then the Salt Cats walking off in a drama-filled 10 innings, 6-5.
Corey Mingin pitched solid for two innings before the Chiefs opened the third inning with six straight hits, including three doubles, sending nine batters to the plate.
Mingin (Oklahoma State-Panhandle) rebounded from that rough inning to hold the Chiefs at bay long enough for Corbin Gapski (Fairleigh Dickinson) to knock in a two-run single, capping off a four-run fourth, tying the game.
The Jr. Chiefs bats reached Mingin in the seventh inning however, opening with a double by the league’s leading hitter, Alex Sanchez. No sooner did the ball get into the outfield, Mingin was laying down in front of the mound and had to exit the game with muscle cramping.
Zach Sutherland (University of Pikeville) was called upon in emergency relief and allowed three straight hits, including a two-run single to Corey Caswell. David Wolak singled in two more Chiefs and they would wind up sending 11 batters to the plate in the seventh inning, plating six runs and taking a 10-4 lead.
Mingin wound up absorbing the loss, allowing six runs (five earned) in 6+ innings.
The Chiefs added two un-earned runs off of Roberto Morales (Walsh University) in that seventh inning and plated four more off of Matt Larangera (Rutgers-Newark) even though just one was earned, thanks to a pair of wild pitches and an RBI single by Sanchez. The 15 runs total was enough to put the Salt Cats in misery for the game’s final three innings, scoring all four of their runs early in the game.
Peter Dogget got the win, going six innings, allowing four runs (three earned) in that fourth inning. JD Tyler stifled the Salt Cats in one inning of relief.
Sean Williams (Oklahoma State-Panhandle) was in control in game two, locked in a picture perfect pitcher’s duel. Williams hurt his own cause in the game however. Despite going a very strong eight innings, striking out 12 Chiefs, he missed catching a ball in the second inning when covering first base. The error caused two runs to score, both being unearned.
The Delaware native allowed just eight hits on the day and three walks, throwing 124 pitches through the eight innings.
Despite the error allowing two runs, Williams deserved the win the offense finally reached Keenan Stare in the eighth inning.
State was equally impressive as Williams, allowing just eight hits, walking one and striking out six in 7.1 innings of work.
Dan Fiorito (Manhantanville College) started the eighth-inning rally with a one-out double, a laser down the third base line. Jake Cintolo (Suffolk University) had an infield single and went to second on an errant throw by Stare. Mike Mascari (Oswego State) singled in a pair of runs, continuing his big weekend. After the two run single, Mascari was 7 for his last 10 with seven RBIs.
Connor Thompson (Mansfield University) had a pinch hit double to give the Salt Cats a 4-2 lead heading into the top of the ninth inning.
With the playoffs fast approaching, the drama came to Falcon Park and the Salt Cats two weeks early. Bo Watson (St. Bonaventure) was hurt by an error on a fly ball to Mascari, allowing Patrck McClure to reach with one out. Ryan Sonberg, who hadn’t homered since July 2nd, took a fastball from Watson 340 over the left-centerfield wall to make it 4-4 game.
Watson came on for the 10th inning and ended up allowing a sac fly to McClure to make it a 5-4 Chiefs lead.
Kevin Carroll came on in the 10th, trying to avoid the same fate as Watson. Carroll would walk Fiorito on five pitches and Cintolo would sacrifice him over.
With Mascari at the plate, arguably the Salt Cats hottest hitter, Fiorito daringly stole third base and came around to score on another RBI single from Mascari.
Carroll loaded the bases with a walk to set up a force out with Nick Carlson at the plate.
Carlson (University of Rochester) hit a groundball to second, hard enough to give Tim Locastro problems, who came up and fired home, unable to get the charging Bailey in time, giving the Salt Cats a come from behind 6-5 win after blowing a late 4-2 lead.
Andrew Medeiros (Westfield State) plated the only Salt Cats run before the eighth inning with an RBI single in the fourth that nearly plated two, as Jimmy Napaolitano (Rutgers-Newark) was thrown out at home.
The Salt Cats will play two again on Sunday, hosting the Adirondack Trailblazers at 1pm and 4pm from Falcon Park.
Mike La Londe (Hiram College) and John Mildner (UMass-Amherst) will go at 1 and 4 respectively. Mildner will be making his first start of the season.
Follow the Salt Cats on twitter for all in-game updates, or find us on Facebook to see great pictures.
You can reach Justin Lada at Justin.Lada89@gmail.com
Game 1
SYR JR 0 0 4 0 1 0 6 0 4 – 15 18 1
SYR Salt Cats 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 – 4 8 5
2B–Z.Blanden (4), T.Locastro (9), A.Sanchez Jr. 2 (10), Z.Lauricella (4),
C.Knott (3), D.Carroll (3). HR–Z.Lauricella (7). RBI–T.Locastro (18),
A.Sanchez Jr. 4 (25), Z.Lauricella 2 (22), C.Caswell 3 (30), C.Knott
(18), D.Wolak 2 (27), D.Carroll (12), T.Kirwan (3), C.Gapski 2 (3).
SH–C.Knott (0), C.Thompson (0). SB–D.Wolak (5). CS–J.Napolitano (3),
B.Morton (5). E–T.Locastro (5), D.Fiorito 2 (9), C.Thompson (6), T.Kirwan
2 (4).
LOB–SYR JR 10, SYR Salt Cats 6.
Game 2
SYR JR 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 - 5 7 2
SYR Salt Cats 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 2 - 6 11 2
2B--T.Locastro (10), E.Braddock (2), D.Fiorito (4), C.Thompson (5),
A.Mederios (3). HR--R.Sonberg (4). RBI--P.McClure (9), R.Sonberg 2 (33),
D.Lostaglio (12), M.Mascari 3 (14), C.Thompson (14), N.Carlson (8),
A.Mederios (18). HP--E.Braddock (3). SF--P.McClure (2). SH--R.Moonan (0),
Z.Lauricella (0), E.Braddock (0), J.Cintolo (0). SB--Z.Blanden 2 (3),
D.Fiorito (16), A.Mederios (8). E--T.Locastro (6), P.McClure (3), M.Mascari
(4), S.Williams (5).
LOB--SYR JR 9, SYR Salt Cats 10.
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