By Justin Lada
BOONVILLE, N.Y. — With a week left in the season, the Syracuse Salt Cats find themselves clinging to a shot at the final playoff spot in the NYCBL East. Getting into a home run derby with the Adirondack Trailblazers and the short right field fence at Robert S. Sports Complex, did not help them gain any traction.
Adirondack scored the last five of the game and defeated the Salt Cats 6-5 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action, Wednesday night.
The Salt Cats struck the first blow, getting themselves an early lead off Blazers starter, Mike Muglia. Jake Cintolo (Suffolk University) took Muglia deep to right-centerfield with two outs in the first inning after Andrew Medeiros (Westfield State) lead off the game with a single.
Medeiros put the Salt Cats second home run of the derby on the board in the top of the fifth inning. He took a Muglia fastball to dead center, far over the center field wall for a 3-1 Salt Cats lead.
Dan Fiorito followed two batters later, with his team leading seventh home run, an opposite field laser, putting the Salt Cats ahead 5-1.
All the Salt Cats runs came via the home run off of Muglia, who wound up pitching seven innings, walking two, getting the no decision.
From there it was Muglia’s bullpen who picked him up. A pitcher who got two outs, getting the win.
Jabin Weaver came in the eighth inning and took a groundball off of the leg from Connor Thompson (Mansfield University). After Thompson was thrown out by second basemen, Stewart Knight, Weaver had to exit with a leg injury.
Matthew Robinson came on in relief and allowed a base hit but got two outs. The Adirondack bullpen threw two scoreless innings, allowing a total of four base runners while their home run hitters got them back into the game.
Salt Cats starter Mike La Londe (Hiram College) was able to limit the damage in the first inning, allowing an RBI double to Cody Campbell, cutting the then Salt Cats lead to 2-1.
La Londe wound up with a no decision, fanning eight Trailblazers in 6.2 innings of work, walking just one while allowing five runs.
Of the five runs La Londe gave up, three came via the long ball over the short right field porch.
After being fanned two times, looking and swinging, the designated hitter Eric Baker took La Londe deep in the fifth inning for a solo home run and then again in the seventh for a two run blast.
Dezmon Nunn followed Baker’s second blast with an opposite field jack of his own, tying the game 5-5 and ending La Londe’s night.
Sean Gavin (Colorado State-Pueblo) finished off the seventh inning without further trouble, but TBlazers right fielder Kevin Hix would reach Gavin for a solo home run in the eighth that ended up being the sixth and deciding run.
The Salt Cats did mount a rally off of Blazers closer, Ryan Krokos, having their best chance to score since having DH Mike Martinez (Keuka College) on third with two outs back in the third inning.
Bud Morton (Moorehead State/Southern University) slapped an opposite field single to start the inning. Jimmy Napolitano (Rutgers-Newark) was able to lay a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Morton over to second base.
Adirondack shortstop, Chase Matheson, tried to give the lead away for the Trailblazers, allowing the next batter, Medeiros, to reach on an error. Morton took a huge turn around third base coming in, but wound up scrambling back to third without a throw. Morton was nearly halfway home, but would have been made the second out of the inning if he ended up being nailed at home.
Eddie Charles (Oswego State) took a pitch right below the chin to load the bases for Fiorito, putting the Salt Cats in prime position; bases loaded, one out, and their best hitter at the plate.
Unfortunately, the Blazers defense returned just in time to turn a nifty 4-6-3 double play to end the rally and the game.
The Salt Cats stranded eight runners, including going 1-6 with runners in scoring position.
Adirondack outhit Syracuse 12-9.
The Sherrill Silversmiths won on Wednesday, putting the Smitties (13-19) ahead of the Salt Cats (12-20) by a full game. The Salt Cats have seven games remaining, including a double header on Saturday at Sherrill, to decide the final playoff spot.
Thursday the Salt Cats will try to bury the Geneva Red Wings from adding another wrinkle in the fourth playoff spot race.
The Salt Cats starter at Geneva tomorrow from McDonough Park is to be announced. First pitch is 7pm.
Follow the Salt Cats on twitter for all in-game updates or on Facebook for pictures and stories.
You can reach Justin Lada at Justin.Lada89@gmail.com
SYR Salt Cats 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 – 5 9 1
Adirondack 1 0 0 0 2 0 2 1 x – 6 12 2
2B–C.Matheson (4), C.Campbell (6). HR–A.Mederios (2), D.Fiorito (7),
J.Cintolo (1), E.Baker 2 (8), D.Nunn (2), K.Hix (3). RBI–A.Mederios (19),
D.Fiorito 2 (27), J.Cintolo 2 (21), E.Baker 3 (26), D.Nunn (8),
C.Campbell (23), K.Hix (11). HP–E.Charles (3), J.Cintolo (6), C.Thompson
(3). SH–E.Charles (0), T.Kirwan (0), J.Napolitano (0). SB–A.Mederios (8),
D.Nunn (9), S.Knight (4). CS–C.Thompson (2), C.Matheson (5). E–E.Braddock
(4), C.Matheson (10), S.Knight (9).
LOB–SYR Salt Cats 7, Adirondack 7.
Three out of the four homeruns the Trail Blazers hit were not to the “short porch” in right field. One was closer to centerfield and two were to leftcenter. Legit shots. Also, the Trail Blazers outhit the Salt Cats 12 to 9 not the other way around. Finally, right field is 310 feet as is Yankee Stadium. The air is a little thinner in Boonville because of the higher elevaton and the ball carries better there.
RLD,
Thanks for the read. Edits made.