By Alicia Daddario
SYRACUSE, NY — The Syracuse Salt Cats took on the Geneva Twins for game two of a four game series under the Friday night lights of Falcon Park. Zach Carlino (Mt. Union) was on the mound for the Salt Cats, looking for his second win of the season, facing Twins pitcher Zach Fowler (Alabama Southern CC).
A solid pitching performance by Carlino and a stellar relief outing by pitcher Kyle Cushman (Onondaga CC), clutch offense in the bottom of the seventh inning, and the unsung heroes, Dan Szathmary (Georgia Coll & St. U) and Anthony Massicci (Canisius), making their debut as catchers equaled an impressive comeback win, 6-3 over the Geneva Twins.
The game started out as a pitchers duel between Carlino and Fowler, both pitching four scoreless innings. Going into Friday, Carlino did not give up any runs in his previous 15.2 innings of work.
The Twins were able to break his scoreless streak in the top of the fifth. Geneva’s Walter Roman (R.I.T) earned a walk. Next batter up, right fielder Eric Alcantara (Arkansas Pine Bluff) drove the ball to deep center. Roman scored the Twins’ first run of the ball game. Top of the lineup, Daniel Iturrey (Emory) doubled into left field for the RBI, but was caught at third tying to stretch the hit into a triple. The Twins led 2-0 after five innings of play.
The Twins would earn one more run in the seventh as Josh Cassidy (Arkansas Pine Bluff) rounded the bases to score. Carlino only gave up three runs which was looking to be enough for a Twins victory. However, the Salt Cat offense exploded in the bottom of the seventh for a comeback.
Bud Morton (Southern) entered the game in the fourth to replace Szathmary in the lineup, who put on a catcher’s helmet for the first time as a pitcher. Defensively, Morton played short stop and middle infielder Massicci moved to the catcher position.
Morton led the seventh with a walk. Tyler Kirwan (Massachussetts-Boston) grounded to third base and an error allowed him to reach safely, and Morton to come all the way around to score the Cats’ first run. Carlos Guzman (Molloy) continued his hot hitting with an RBI single to left field. Mike DeCarr (SUNY Cortland) stepped to the plate and earned a walk on four straight pitches.
Cleanup batter Cristian Fiorito (Concordia) knocked a double to right field, scoring Guzman to tie the game at three. Carlino was done pitching for the night but was certainly not done hitting. He says he is comfortable pitching and being in the lineup, as long as he keeps the two separate.
“I mean, I did it in school a lot so, it’s just making sure your at bat doesn’t carry over to the mound, and the mound doesn’t carry over to your at bat . Just got to make sure you clear your head.”
Carlino cleared his head of the three runs he gave up and ripped his third hit of the game up the middle for a RBI single. DeCarr and Fiorito scored the go-ahead runs and the Salt Cats led the Twins 5-3.
Cushman entered the game for Carlino in the top of the seventh and pitched a brilliant scoreless 2 and 2/3 innings for his first win. He talked about this strategy coming into a save situation and gave all the credit to Szathmary and Massicci who stepped up big time and played unfamiliar positions,
“Throw strikes, do whatever I can. The catcher’s back there, couldn’t even tell the difference that they weren’t catchers. You know, they did a great job and I want to give thanks to them.”
The Salt Cats scored an insurance run in the eighth. Guzman went three-for-five and singled up the middle to get on base. After Guzman stole second base, DeCarr knocked him in with his first hit and RBI of the game.
The Salt Cats would go on to win 6-3 over the Geneva Twins. A rematch is scheduled for Saturday night at McDonough Stadium at 7 pm. Only a half game back from first place, the Salt Cats will look to win four straight while the Twins will look to avenge two straight losses to Syracuse.
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