By Taylor Nigrelli
NIAGARA FALLS, NY — Saturday, for the second night in a row, the Niagara Power (7-6) took on the Geneva Red Wings (4-6). And for the second night in a row, Niagara struggled in the middle innings and saw an early lead dissipate.
However, unlike Saturday, the Power were able to rally and defeat Geneva, 8-7, on the strength of an Alex Lagos (Bryant) walk-off walk in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Sal Maglie Field.
Niagara Power Head Coach Josh Rebandt said he knew the team would be tested in a late, close-game situation eventually.
“I was talking about it with the guys yesterday actually,” Rebandt said. “I was telling them we hadn’t been battle-tested yet. That’s baseball, the next day you get battle tested. You get down late in the game and you show some resilience. That’s what we talked about yesterday.”
In a game that dragged on nearly four hours, Travis Laiter (Cortland) got the win while allowing one run in one inning.
The Power got on the board early, scoring two runs in the first and two in the second to take a 3-0 lead. The Red Wings got on the board in the third inning and the game remained 3-1 until the top of the sixth.
Micah Mabe (Covenant), who got the start for the Power, allowed only three hits in the first five innings of action. However Mabe appeared to be fatigued in the sixth inning and gave up three earned runs in an inning that saw Geneva take a 4-3 lead.
Rebandt counts Mabe as one of his more reliable pitchers but thinks his tendency to go deep into counts costs him innings.
“He’s giving us a chance to win every time he goes out there,” Rebandt said. “That’s all you can ask for. But he’s a high strikeout guy so his pitch count is going to be a little bit higher than others earlier in the game just because he works deeper into counts. So that’s why you see him only going five or six innings. But he gives us a strong five or six innings.”
Geneva added two more runs in the seventh, extending their lead to 6-3. It would remain that way until the bottom of the eighth when the Niagara bats awoke from their five-inning slumber. Niagara scored four runs in the frame to take a 7-6 lead; all without an extra-base hit.
Cather Tyler Simmons (Wingate) started the rally by being hit with a pitch. Third basemen Foley George (North Greenville) took a walk and centerfielder Cameron Wilkie (Brown) hit a single. Lagos then hit a sac fly, followed by a wild pitch that advanced the runners, followed by a two-run single by designated hitter Cody Pentecost (College of the Ozarks).
“I don’t know what it took to get the offense going,” Rebandt said. “That’s just baseball. That’s all you can chalk it up to.”
After Geneva tied the score in the top of the ninth, the Niagara offense was given one last chance to send the fans home before Sunday. And they prevailed.
The Power loaded the bases with one out and Lagos, who was sporting a .156 batting average, came to the plate.
This was not an unfamiliar position for Lagos to find himself in.
“Last night I came to the plate with the bases loaded and faced the same pitcher (Augustine),” Lagos said. “I struck out.”
He took four balls on five pitches and was walked, earning the Power their seventh victory.
“I know what the kid had from last night; I know he had a lot of off-speed,” Lagos said. “I’m trying to get the ball to the outfield, get the sac fly, get the run in and then we can party on the field.”
Niagara will continue to party on the field in a double-header at Geneva tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
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