By Trey Didio
SHERRILL, NY — After only managing two hits in yesterday’s contest in Rochester, the Sherrill Silversmiths exploded for 18 runs on 21 hits in a doubleheader sweep (11-8/7-4) of the Ridgemen in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Noyes Park.
Rochester took an early lead in game one by scoring three runs in each of the first two innings. Nicholas Wolyniec (Siena) cleared the bases with a two-out triple in the first inning, good for three RBI. Ryan Logan (Christian Brothers University) added a two-RBI triple in the second frame as well.
Sherrill managed to get two runs back quickly in the first as leadoff hitter Mike Bunal (Binghamton) got on with a double. Dylin Eschenburg (Saginaw Valley State) singled to set up runners on the corners. The Silversmiths put on a double steal and an errant throw home from the shortstop allowed Bunal to score. Skyler Geissinger (Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville) hit a sacrifice fly for the second run.
Sherrill scored a run in the second and followed that up with three more in the third to tie the game at 6-6. Zack Kessinger (Washington University at St. Louis) led off with a single. After a strikeout, Ka’ai Tom (Fort Scott) singled as well. Connor Breslin (Maryland Eastern Shore) then hit a sharp ball to second for what looked like an inning-ending double play. Rochester shortstop Ben Circeo (Bluefield) caught the toss from the second baseman but threw the ball away, allowing Kessinger to score. Sherrill right fielder Doug Putkowski (Suffolk County Community College) took advantage of the extra out and tied the game with a two-run home run to right field.
After allowing six runs on four hits in the first two innings, Silversmiths’ starter Payton Logan (Fort Scott) settled down nicely and allowed just two more runs on four hits in the seven-inning contest.
“He (Logan) took the mentality that his teammates put up some runs for him and he wasn’t going to let them down after they came back,” Sherrill skipper Dennis Duffy said. “He really focused up, threw strikes and got ahead of hitters. He was a completely different pitcher for the last five innings.”
Sherrill took the lead in the fourth inning as Kessinger singled home Eschenburg, his second of three runs on the day. Troy Jones (Monroe Community College) added much-needed insurance in the fifth frame with a two-RBI double to left field. The Silversmiths added two more in their last at-bats, capped off by a solo shot to right by Tom.
Logan picked up the victory after going the distance. Tim Knesnik (SUNY Stony Brook) received the loss after allowing nine runs (five earned) on 11 hits. Logan and Knesnik struck out six and seven batters respectively.
Rochester took another early lead in game two, but a seven-run third inning provided Sherrill with all the offense it would need.
First baseman Wolyniec experienced a bittersweet at-bat in the second frame. He fouled off a pitch in what seemingly hit him in the midsection area. After a brief timeout and some good-natured jeers from teammates, Wolyniec crushed the next pitch over the left-field fence to give the Ridgemen a 1-0 lead.
Sherrill answered by sending up 12 batters and accumulating six hits in the third inning for seven runs. Max Nagelsmith (Le Moyne) led off with a single, his first of two in the inning. Two walks sandwiched a sacrifice bunt to set up the bases loaded with one out. Center fielder Tom came through with an RBI single to tie the game. Catcher Rich Guglielmi (Saginaw Valley State) was then hit by a pitch, which forced in the second run. Josh Griffith (Fort Scott) laced a double down the left-field line, good for two more runs. An error by the Rochester third baseman on the next batter allowed another pair of runs to cross the plate. Nagelsmith added an RBI single to cap the scoring for Sherrill.
“Other than last night, we’ve been swinging the bats pretty well recently. We just need to continue keeping simple approaches and attacking the baseball and driving it,” Duffy said.
Sherrill starting pitcher Troy Loparco (St. John Fisher) allowed just four hits through five-plus innings. Three of those happened to be home runs. Josh Davis (Whitworth) led off the sixth inning with a solo shot. Nick Oddo (Cal State San Bernardino) hit a two-run homer later in the inning, and Loparco was pulled.
Collin Laguzza, also from St. John Fisher, finished the sixth with no damage. He walked the leadoff batter in the seventh and was relieved by Geissinger. He induced a fly out and then got Davis to ground into a game-ending 4-6-3 double play to complete the sweep.
“The team showed a lot of heart and these guys came out to play today. It definitely showed in both games today,” Duffy said.
The two victories leave Sherrill two games back of the ever-important sixth place, the last seed for playoffs. The Silversmiths sit at 12-16. Rochester fell to 10-19 and remain in the cellar of the league, yet have been showing signs of life by going .500 in their last ten ballgames.
The Silversmiths play a doubleheader against the Syracuse Salt Cats on Sunday. First pitch of game one at Rockwell Field on the campus of LeMoyne College is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Rochester hosts the Geneva Twins for a 7 p.m. start at Basket Road Field.
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