By Paul Gotham
GENEVA, NY – Tommy Bergjans (Haverford) dialed zeroes, and the offense hit in bunches as the Geneva Red Wings swept a doubleheader (9-0/3-2) from the Niagara Power in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at McDonough Park, Sunday.
Unaffected by an hour and a half rain delay, Begjans took a no-hitter into the seventh for his second win of the season.
“It was in the back of my mind,” Bergjans said of the no-hit bid. “In the end it’s mostly about getting the team a win.”
Bergjans struck out 14 over eight full while surrendering just one hit and issuing three walks. He put a Red Wings team which has faced a series of rain outs in position to get back to .500 on the season.
“Since we were getting rained out so much, we’re having a lot of troubles as a team just to get hot,” Bergjans stated. “Lately, we’ve been putting up a lot more runs and our pitchers have been throwing well.”
The right-hander from Manhattan Beach, California fanned the side in order in the first and struck out two more in the second.
“He’s been dynamite through his three starts this year,” noted Red Wing head coach Ross Trachtenberg. “We had a long bus ride and got back late, so him coming out and giving the ‘pen a rest is big.”
With Bergjans in control on the mound, Geneva’s offense wasted little time getting on the board.
Scott Shields (Cuesta College) slapped a one-out single off Niagara starter, Adam Posey (Eastern Mennonite), in the bottom of the first. Andrew Gronski (Case Western) reached on an error, and Casey Fox (Haverford) delivered with a double giving Geneva an early 2-0 lead.
Shields and Fox combined again as the Red Wings added to their advantage in the third. Shields singled and stole before Fox reached on an error allowing Shields to score.
Then the skies opened and sent the players scattering. When the rain ended, it was the Red Wings ready to go.
Dustin Stuck (Alvernia) alertly bunted the first pitch after the delay and reached on a single. When the inning ended, Geneva had sent nine to the plate and scored four. Gronski reached out and poked an RBI base hit into center. Fox doubled to straight away center plating Shields, and Andrew Weightman (St. Bonaventure) capped the frame with a two-out bloop single, and Geneva led 7-0.
“You can chalk it up to whatever, but I don’t want to make excuses,” said Niagara head Josh Rebandt. “They had the same rain delay we had. I don’t want to say the rain delay was what hurt us. I thought we were flat from the get-go. We ran into a good pitcher too. Give him credit. He threw a real good game.”
Geneva added two more in the seventh. Fox led with his third double of the game. Lee Miller (Davidson) singled to left center, and Weightman plated the pair with a two-bagger to left field.
Geneva picked up where it left in the night cap scoring two runs in the first and holding on for the sweep.
Vernon Trice III (Oglethorpe) led with a walk and moved ninety feet on a stolen base. Aaron Tovsky (Davidson) earned his own free pass, and Brett Viola (Stevens Inst of Tech) took advantage with an RBI base hit putting runners on the corners. Tovsky eventually came home on a passed ball for 2-0 Geneva.
Niagara responded in their next at bat.
Johnny Blue Craig (Georgia Southern) led with a single back through the box. Tyler Simmons (Wingate) reached on a close play at first. Foley George (North Greenville) moved the runners with a sacrifice bunt. Blue Craig came home on a Hunter Lewis (Hampden-Sydney) ground out.
Geneva quickly answered with a run in the bottom half. Max Townley (University of the Ozarks) singled up the middle. Brandon Costa (Concord) moved the runner with a sacrifice bunt. After a wild pitch, Townley scored on a Cam Stimpson (Monroe CC) sacrifice fly.
Niagara cut the lead to one in the fourth when Lewis reached on a fielder’s choice and eventually scored on a passed ball.
The Power threatened in the fifth putting two on with one out. Zach Augustine (Johns Hopkins) got a strike out, and Craig was thrown out trying to steal.
Kevin Lee (Ramapo) got the win.
Augustine tossed a pair of scoreless innings.
Robert Winemiller (Case Western) earned the save.
Luke Heller (Cornerstone) was the tough-luck loser allowing three earned runs over six full. The right-hander retired the last six he faced.
“He threw the ball well,” Rebandt said of his starter. “From his first couple starts to now he has improved immensely. Today, I thought he got stronger as the game went on. I thought his sixth inning was his best today.”
With the wins, Geneva improves to 6-6 on the season. Because of rain outs the Red Wings have played the fewest games thus far in the NYCBL.
“The boys have stayed focus,” explained Trachtenberg. “There was definitely some frustration early on. The first ten or so games you try to figure out what you got. I think we got a real good ball club, so being .500 after the first dozen games. That’s putting us right where we need to be.”
The game capped a four-game set where Geneva took three of four to jump past the Power in the standings.
Both teams get Monday off.
Niagara travels to Olean to take on the first place Oilers, Tuesday evening. A 5 p.m. first pitch is scheduled. The Power take on the two top teams in the league over their next six games with three straight against Olean before a trio of contests against the Wellsville Nitros.
Geneva hosts the Syracuse Salt Cats on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Leave a Reply