GENEVA, NY – It ended with a 1-5 double play – a sequence, which on paper looks simple, but dealt more with complication.
Josh Webb (Utica College) shined in his first start as an opportunistic Sherrill Silversmiths withstood a last-inning rally and defeated the Geneva Twins, 3-2 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at McDonough Park, Thursday night.
Webb struck out two, walked six and allowed three hits over seven shutout innings for his second win of the season.
“He threw the ball really well,” said Sherrill head coach Dennis Duffy. “I was kinda watching his pitch count and thinking about taking him out after the fifth because he threw on Monday. He got ahead in the count. He did have some walks but minimized runners from that point on.”
When Webb did struggle he relied on his defense.
“First pitch strikes just makes an at bat easier for me,” Webb said. “I was able to mix up pitches and throw ‘em all for strikes: fastball, curveball, slider. I was able to do that a lot tonight which led to ground balls and fly balls.”
Geneva looked ready to score in the sixth when the Twins put a pair of runners on base with one out. Webb induced a ground ball which the Sherrill converted into its second inning-ending double play of the game.
“That’s always nice,” Webb commented. “I know I have a good infield behind me. I know I don’t have to worry about striking everyone out.”
With Webb and the defense holding Geneva in check, Sherrill took advantage of four Geneva errors to grab a lead they never surrendered.
Michael Escanilla (Maryland Eastern Shore) worked a one-out walk in the third and stole second. The Sherrill shortstop moved to third on a Douglas Putowski (Suffolk County CC) ground out. Josh Griffith (Fort Scott CC) plated the first run of the game with an opposite field single to right center.
The Smitties added a run in the fifth. Matthew Ederle (Rhode Island) reached on a two-out error. Connor Breslin (Maryland Eastern Shore) made good on the chance with an RBI double just inside the bag at third.
“We came through when it mattered,” Duffy stated. “That’s all you can ask for at the end of the day, and we came out on top.”
Sherrill struck, again, with two outs in the sixth.
Mark Sherlock (Marywood) knocked a one-out double which Josh Cassidy (Arkansas Pine Bluff) nearly corralled with a diving back-to-the-plate stab attempt in left field. On the next play, Dylin Eschenburg (Saginaw Valley St.) grounded out to the right side of the infield. Sherlock left on contact and was able to score when the throw from first bounded into foul territory.
The run proved to be the game winner.
Geneva loaded the bases with one out in the eighth on Silversmith reliever, Troy Loparco (St. John Fisher). Thomas Moriarty (Hamilton) came on and struck out the first batter he faced before getting a ground ball to end the inning.
“If you’re throwing strikes, you’re going to be successful,” Duffy said of his pitching staff. “These guys are coming from colleges where aluminum bats are used. They’re kinda hesitant to throw so many strikes, but the big thing here is to get ahead in the count.”
But like Tuesday night’s see-saw affair between these same two teams, Geneva made one last gasp.
Walter Roman (Rochester Institute of Technology) greeted Sherrill reliever, Michael Bunal (Binghamton) with an infield single to third. Michael Roman (St. John Fisher) followed with a base on balls. One out later, Zachary Nadolny (St. Mary’s Coll of Maryland) worked a walk to load the bases. Greg Davis (Louisiana Lafayette) delivered with a base hit to right bright home the Roman brothers and cutting the Smitty lead to 3-2.
Geneva had runners on the corners with one out and chance to stun Sherrill for the second time in one week. Instead, the Twins were left on shock.
Cassidy followed with a tapper of the dirt in front of the plate. The ball bounded into the air and appeared destined to land between Bunal and Sherrill shortstop, Escanilla. But Bunal recovered enough from his follow through and was able to put his bare hand. The right-hander quickly spun, picked up the ball and caught Nadolny in a rundown between third and home. At the same time, Davis tried to put himself in scoring position. Bunal tagged Nadolny and fired to Breslin at third for the final of the inning and the game.
“The guys have been tough the whole season at the end of games,” said Geneva head coach, Nick Callahan. “They just keep battling no matter what. The other night we beat these guys in 11 innings. It was the same type of thing.”
Tuesday, the Twins tallied twice in the bottom of the ninth sending the game to extra innings. After Sherrill scored twice in the top of the tenth, Geneva responded sending the game to the 11th where they won. The loss ended Sherrill’s then six-game winning streak.
Geneva starter David Anderson (Muhlenberg) took the loss. He is 0-1.
The Twins left 11 on base and had four runners, in effect, thrown out at third.
Sherrill improves to 7-6 on the season and is a game and a half out of first.
Geneva falls to 3-7 and is four back in the race.
The same two teams meet again tonight at McDonough Park. First pitch at the Big Mac is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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