Salt Cats looking to be next New York college baseball Cinderella

By Justin Lada

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — New York State has already witnessed a pair of baseball Cinderella stories this summer. Stony Brook’s Sea Wolves and the St. John’s Red Storm both made magical runs in the College World Series.

The summer isn’t over, and that slipper is waiting for another foot.

Enter the Syracuse Salt Cats, who were 2-10 early in the season and at the bottom of the NYCBL barrel.

Thirty-two games later the Salt Cats are crashing the playoff party as the Eastern Division’s final seed in the playoffs and aim to stick around for a while.

The Salt City rivalry will be renewed for another weekend in 2012. The NYCBL first round of playoff action starts Friday with the Salt Cats taking on their cross-town rivals, the Syracuse Jr. Chiefs.

After beating the Utica Brewers on opening night of the season, the Salt Cats season went into a tailspin with a nine game losing streak, before a stunning comeback win over the Geneva Red Wings, snapped the slide.

The Salt Cats weren’t out of the woods, despite a come from behind victory. They would finish the season losing 10 1-run games. A pair of three-game winning streaks over the season’s final four weeks helped vault the Salt Cats into the playoff picture.

A number of players on the squad stepped up huge in the season’s final games.

Sean Williams (Oklahoma State-Panhandle) put himself at the front of the conversation for NYCBL pitcher of the year with his 66 strikeouts in 52.1 innings, compared to just 13 walks and a 2.75 ERA. Over his last 32.1 innings (4 starts, 1 relief appearance) he allowed just three earned runs and struck out 47 batters.

The Salt Cats needed Williams’ arm at the end of the season, and he delivered. He struck out 14 in a seven inning performance last Saturday in a double header sweep of the Sherrill Silversmiths, who the Salt Cats were fighting to the final playoff spot.

Williams came back on three day’s rest on Tuesday, pitching 1.2 innings out of the bullpen in game two of double header vs. the Jr. Chiefs, striking out four and helping the Salt Cats hang on for a very important win.

Williams’ teammate, Corey Mingin (Oklahoma State-Panhandle) had to depart the team early for school, but didn’t leave without a huge contribution. The lefty from New Jersey threw a complete game last Saturday in game one of that double header with Sherrill and allowed just two runs. The two wins went a long way in the Salt Cats playoff push over the final week.

It wasn’t just the pitching staff that stepped up at season’s end as the Salt Cats hitters had some clutch performances at the end.

Andrew Medeiros (Westfield State) had a 13-game hitting streak from June 28^th to July 21^st. He also drove in six runs over the final five games, including a three RBI game in that deciding double header vs. Sherrill, in large part thanks to a two-run home run.

Dan Fiorito (Manhattanville College) saw his 12-game hitting streak snapped in final game of the double header vs. the Jr. Chiefs but still managed to draw two walks and drove in a run during that win. The veteran NYCBL infielder’s versatility also helped out, as the Salt Cats lost third basemen, Jake Cintolo (Suffolk University) last week with a fractured wrist, so Fiorito moved from shortstop to third in his place.

Cintolo had 13 hits in July, raising his average from .244 on July 1^st to .283 in his final game on July 19^th. The single season hits leader in Suffolk history had a six game hitting streak before getting hurt and had three extra-base hits in that time. That was about the only thing that didn’t go right for the Salt Cats in the final week.

With Cintolo going down, two others stepped up. Fiorito moved to third, and Ethan Braddock (St. Lawrence University), who was splitting time with Bud Morton (Moorehead State/Southern University), became the regular shortstop.

In addition to leading the Salt Cats in sacrifice bunts, Braddock’s defense at short stabilized the infield and he also had a two run double in the Salt Cats four run, eighth inning on Tuesday, propelling the Salt Cats to a win. Braddock won NYCBL player of the day for his effort in that game.

Tyler Kirwan (UMass-Boston), who began the year unavailable recovering from a broken tibia, came on strong late. After a rough start when he was able to play, Kirwan had a modest three-game hitting streak to end the regular season and a huge RBI single in that four-run eighth on Tuesday. Kirwan saw more playing time at second and short after Cintolo’s injury and will be counted on in the playoffs as well.

Kyle Cushman (Mohawk Valley CC/Onondaga CC) and Bo Watson (Onondaga CC/St. Bonaventure) formed a strong and reliable duo at the end of games out of the bullpen. Kushman had 20 strikeouts in 21 innings of work and has been the go to guy in the eighth inning and with runners on.

Watson shouldered the closing duties and wound up with a 3-0 record with three  saves and 35 strikeouts in 22.1 innings pitched, reliable force in the ninth inning.

In a 44 game season, a 2-10 record in the first two weeks of the season might be enough to bury any team, but the other New York baseball team’s left that “Cinderella” slipper unclaimed and the Salt Cats now have the right to see if the other shoe fits.

 

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You can reach Justin Lada at Justin.Lada89@gmail.com