By Zach Gewelb
SYRACUSE, NY — After taking two games from the Sherrill Silversmiths and extending their winning streak to seven on Wednesday, the Jr. Chiefs’ streak came to an end Thursday, as they split a doubleheader against Sherrill (4-11/4-2) in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Hopkins Road Park.
The Jr. Chiefs lost game one, a continuation of the suspended game from June 5th, by a score of 11-4 after a poor outing from Patrick Merryweather and a big game from Sherrill outfielder Ka’ai Tom (Ft Scott CC).
Syracuse rebounded in game two with a 4-2 victory behind five gutsy innings from All Star Austin Munn (Ave Maria U).
After a shaky, but scoreless first inning, Munn allowed a run in the second after issuing a two-out walk to Josh Griffith (Ft Scott CC). Griffith stole second and scored on a single by second baseman Max Nagelsmith (Le Moyne Col).
Nagelsmith was caught stealing to end the inning, but he gave the Silversmiths a 1-0 lead.
The Jr. Chiefs struck back in the bottom of the third with a game-changing three-run inning.
All Star Aaron Pigna (Ave Maria U) opened the inning with a HBP and advanced to second after a passed ball. Pigna scored later in the inning after a sacrifice fly from Gary Jones (Delaware U of).
The Jr. Chiefs started a two-out rally after Sherrill starter Michael Bunal (Binghamton U) walked Alex Caruso (St Johns U) and Stanley Susana (St Thomas Aquinas Col). Bunal (L, 3 IP, 3 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K) hit Nicholas Sinay (Buffalo U of). Pat Wright (Le Moyne Col) doubled in two runs, giving the Jr. Chiefs a 3-1 lead.
The score remained 3-1 until the fifth inning, when Sherrill chipped in to the Jr. Chiefs lead. Munn (W, 2 R, 2 H, 5 BB, 5 K) walked Richard Guglielmi (Saginaw Valley St U) to open the inning and allowed a single to Griffith to follow.
After a wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third, Munn induced Nagelsmith to ground out to short, but Guglielmi scored on the play, making the score 3-2.
Munn pitched out of trouble and exited the game after the fifth inning with the Jr. Chiefs clinging to a one-run lead.
Robert Weller (Pomona Pitzer Col) worked around a walk shut down the Silversmiths in the top of the sixth and the Jr. Chiefs tacked on an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning.
Wright reached on an error to open the inning and was replaced by pinch runner Kenny Hostrander (Eastern Kentucky U). Connor Martin (Clarkson U) moved Hostrander to second with a sacrifice, which proved to be big as Pigna singled in Hostrander with two outs, giving the Jr. Chiefs a 4-2 lead they would never relinquish.
Zac Connelly (Tampa U of) recorded the save after retiring the Silversmiths in order to secure the victory.
Game one was a continuation of a game that was suspended on July 5th due to weather. The Jr. Chiefs fell started the game down 1-0 after All Star pitcher Ryan Clark (North Carolina Greensboro U of) got off to a rough start in the bottom of the first before the game was suspended.
Clark allowed a lead off single to Michael Piscopo (Northeastern U), who crossed the plate later in the inning after a one-out single by Blaze. Clark was able to keep the Silversmiths at bay for the rest of the inning, but the damage had been done and Sherrill had a 1-0 lead.
The game was the suspended with two outs in the top of the second inning due to weather, but play resumed Thursday morning.
The Silversmiths opened the day with a man on first and a new Jr. Chiefs pitcher on the mound: Patrick Merryweather. Merryweather finished off the second inning, but ran in to some trouble in the third.
The lefty allowed back-to-back singles to start the inning, before a sacrifice bunt put men on second and third with one out. Tom came through with a sacrifice fly and gave the Silversmiths a 2-0 lead.
Skyler Geissinger (Southern Illinois U Edwardsville) followed with an RBI single and extended the lead to three.
Merryweather ran in to more trouble after walking Zackary Kessinger (Washington U).
With two on and two outs, Merryweather could not stop the bleeding and allowed an RBI single to third baseman Connor Breslin (Maryland Eastern Shore U of).
The Silversmiths held a 4-0 lead, but allowed the Jr. Chiefs to claw back in to the game in the top of the fourth.
Sherrill starter Josh Webb (Utica Col), who started the game back on July 5th, retired Connor Mathis (Mt Union Col) to lead off the inning, but got himself in to trouble after walking Caruso.
Susana doubled to put men on second and third, and Hostrander came up with a clutch two run single that brought the Jr. Chiefs within two. Wright followed with an RBI single of his own, and suddenly the deficit was cut to one.
The Silversmiths answered Syracuse’s big inning with a four run outburst in the bottom of the fourth.
With a man on first and one out, Piscopo (3-3, 3 R, 1 RBI) reached on an error by Susana, putting runners on the corners. Dylin Eschenburg reached with a single and the bases were loaded for Tom.
The Silversmiths left fielder doubled in two runs, giving him four runs batted in on the day. Geissinger (2-4, 1 R, 2 RBI) and Kessinger (1-3, 1 RBI) followed with back-to-back RBI singles to give Sherrill an 8-3 lead.
After a rough fourth inning, Webb (W, 7 IP 8 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 7 K) settled down and kept the vaunted Jr. Chiefs offense at bay.
The Silversmiths added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth and chased Merryweather (L, 2.1 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 8 BB, 1 K) after a leadoff double by Matthew Ederle (Rhode Island U of) and a single to Nathan Eastman (Finger Lakes CC).
Brian Santangelo (Pennsylvania Coll of Technology) entered the game and Eastman was caught stealing second by Jr. Chiefs catcher Noel Garcia (Northwood U).
With one out, Santangelo dug himself in to a deeper hole after walking Douglas Putowski (Suffolk County CC). Piscopo stepped up to the plate and drove in Ederle with an RBI single and Putowski advanced to third on the play.
Eschenburg walked and Tom came up with the bases loaded. He drew a walk from Santangelo (0.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 3 BB) and was credited with his fifth RBI of the day.
Thomas Jordan (Northwood U) came in to the game for the Jr. Chiefs and escaped the inning unscathed, but the Silversmiths held an 11-3 lead, that they would hold until the top of the seventh inning.
Nicholas Sinay (Buffalo U of) singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on Mathis’ single. Caruso drove in Sinay with a single of his own, but the Jr. Chiefs were unable to keep the rally going as the Silversmiths secured an 11-4 victory.
After splitting the doubleheader, the Jr. Chiefs will remain in second place in the standings at 16-10, while Sherrill entered double digits in victories with 10 (10-16).
The Jr. Chiefs will play in Le Moyne Friday with a scheduled doubleheader against the rival Salt Cats. Game one is set to begin at 2:00 p.m., while game two is slated to start at 5:00 p.m. The Silversmiths will head to Basket Road Field Friday night, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
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