Courtesy of the Niagara Gazette
By Doug Smith
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — Like horses keen to the course, Niagara Power batters blasted out of the starting gate with four consecutive hits Wednesday night and left the Rochester Athletes in the dust of Sal Maglie Stadium, 5-1.
For pitcher Jordan Schwartz, though, it was more like a steeplechase. His fielders scrambling like skilled jockeys, Schwartz dodged one obstacle after another in six and a third scoreless innings. For the second consecutive home appearance, the Power lost a shot at a shutout with one out remaining.
Coach Garret Shivley noted that “we’ve faced this pitcher a few times, our guys pay attention” after the Power’s zippy start. Neil DeCook tripled, Jaman Hammel and Adam Taylor singled and Tyler Schweigert doubled for a 3-0 lead before any in the crowd of 306 had ordered their first hot dog.
For the fifth time this year, the Power scored a runner from second on an infield hit when DeCook just kept going as Taylor beat out a roller to second in the fifth. Nick Linne singled home Schweigert in the eighth.
Schwartz, Niagara U prospect from Arkport, struck out three, walked one. DeCook threw out a would-be run at the plate in the second and in the third, Rochester jammed the bases with none out.
With a 3-0 lead, many a manager would lay the infield back and concede a run but Shively daringly brought them and again came off looking like Joe Torre. Two consecutive Athletes hit into forces at home and clean-up Nick Flanagan skied harmless to center.
After Schweigert speared a line drive at third to provoke at odd double play in the fourth, Schwartz retired seven in a row, none hitting a ball past him, before yielding two free tickets in the seventh. DJ Schwab, David Kaplan and Matt “Boilermaker” Gibbs finished it up, the shutout vanishing when Rochester centerfielder Jonathan Burkhart, who’d held the Power at bay all night, ripped an RBI double to left with two out in the ninth.
Now 20-15, Niagara moved closer to clinching third place, but gained no ground on second-place Olean when the Oilers outslugged Wellsville 17-10.
POWER POINTS: Not one Power batter struck out… In a 15-point memo, league president Stan Lehman dismissed Wellsville’s protest of Niagara’s 5-4 victory Saturday night, citing action by visiting management – not the players – which made it impractical, if not dangerous, to continue discussions of the final play on the field… In another oddity in that game, left-fielder Ryan Kiesel dove for a fly ball and appeared to come up with it, but when he retrieved sunglasses that had flown off at impact, the officials thought he was reaching for the ball and called “safe.” That touched off a sequence that led to four Wellsville runs, none batted in… It’s Power Catch tonight vs. Geneva, then Fan Appreciation Night vs. Olean Friday, the home finale except for playoffs… The Power went into Wednesday’s game a solid second in league attendance, and first in the Western Division…Team personnel bid farewell to Rachel Bowden, whose heartfelt National Anthem was the pride of Hyde Park Boulevard.
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