By Taylor Nigrelli
HYDE PARK, NY — The Niagara Power fell to a familiar foe; in name, at least.
After seeing their first two matchups of the year washed away by rain Thursday and Friday, the Power were defeated by General Manager Chris Rainwater and the Rochester Ridgemen 6-3 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Sal Maglie Stadium, Saturday.
Timothy Knesnik (Stony Brook) earned the win for the Ridgemen while Joshua Clarke (Methodist) took the loss for Niagara.
Micah Mabe (Covenant) started the game for the Power, going six innings while allowing two runs on five hits. Mabe retired 12 of the last 13 batters he faced. Niagara Coach Josh Rebandt thought Mabe put the team in a position to win.
“Every time we’re playing, we look for a chance to win,” Rebandt said. “He (Mabe) got behind on some hitters, 1-0 and 2-1. But he gave us a chance to win and that’s all we can ask for.”
Rebandt was pleased with the team’s pitching performance as a whole Saturday but believes the offense has improvements to make.
“I thought our pitching did pretty well for the most part,” Rebandt said. “We have some thinks to work out with hitting. It will come around. It’s still early.”
Despite the offensive struggles, the Power struck first in a game that featured four lead changes. In the bottom of the second catcher Jimmy Landes (Baylor) doubled and knocked in shortstop Perry Rigby (Covenant).
Rochester answered almost immediately with two runs in the top of the third. Infielder Nick Oddo (Cal St. San Bernadino) and outfielder Patrick Kinney doubled in consecutive at bats to give the Ridgemen a 2-1 lead.
The Power would regain the lead in the bottom of the sixth after a series of errors and miscues by the Ridgemen. After a sacrifice fly to score outfielder Scott Gillespie (Covenant), Rochester’s Taylor Empkey (Eastfield) overthrew third base which allowed Rigby to reach safely. However, the throw back to third was high which allowed Rigby to score on the second error of the play and give the Power a 3-2 lead.
For the second time Rochester wasted no time in answering the Power.
After Clarke loaded the bases with two walks and a single, Oddo hit a high fly ball to right center field. Niagara centerfielder Cody Pentecost (College of the Ozarks) appeared to lose the ball in the lights, allowing three runs to score while he retrieved it. Rebandt believes Pentecost could have caught the ball if he had kept track of it in the air.
“I think he lost it, it looked like he could have had it when it came off the bat,” Rebant said. “I thought it was going to be a routine fly ball so he had to have lost it. I haven’t talked to him about it yet but I feel like that was the situation.”
The Power were unable to score in the final three innings while Rochester added an insurance run in the ninth to stretch their lead to 6-3. Patrick Woerner picked up the save for the Ridgemen after pitching a perfect ninth.
The Power will have a chance for revenge when take on the Ridgemen in Rochester Sunday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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