By Gina Papineau
WEBSTER, NY — Dwayne Snider (Texas Lutheran) and Kevin Carpentier (Finger Lakes CC) both hurled nine innings of no-hit ball as the Rochester Ridgemen edged the Sherrill Silversmiths, 1-0 in extra innings in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Basket Road Field, Friday.
“Not just our team but both pitchers had a no hitter going through nine innings,” said Ridgemen head coach Taylor Hargrove, “That is a special feat.”
The game was taken into extra innings as both teams underwent a defensive battle for nine straight. Snider threw 11 strikeouts and had two walks with no allowed hits for nine innings. The Ridgemen defense supported their pitcher and jumped on every ball that was hit. In the fourth inning, after Snider’s first walk, Josh Griffith (Ft Scott CC) was tagged out at second base by catcher Josh Davis (Whitworth).
“My defense really helped me out a lot,” Snider commented of his team’s performance, “It was a good, hard fought battle.”
On the other side of the defense, Carpentier threw four strikeouts while allowing three walks and no allowed hits. In the seventh inning he hit two consecutive batters, but the rest of the Smittie’s defense took control with the next batter and completed a double play.
“The other pitcher did really well too,” Snider said of Kevin Carpentier’s performance, “Seeing him do well made me want to do just as good.”
Both pitcher’s fed off of each other’s momentum, and the game remained scoreless for 9 full innings.
In the 10th inning, Snider allowed his only two hits of the game before he was relieved by CJ King (Mississippi St). Josh Griffith earned a single sent out to left field, followed by a double by Zackary Kessinger (Washington). Later, Ka’ai Tom (Ft Scott CC) was intentionally walked, putting the Smitties in the perfect scoring position with only one out and three men on. On a hit from Michael Piscopo (Northeastern), the Ridgemen defense pulled through again with a double play, preventing the Smitties from taking the lead.
Snider added of the Ridgemen’s defense, “They made a very clutch double play there in the tenth inning for CJ and we had a lot of momentum going into the bottom of the tenth.”
Nick Oddo (Cal St San Bernardino) led the bottom half of the inning with a single, and then took second on a ground ball by Nick Wolyniec (Siena). Patrick Kinney (Lindenwood) walked. With Ryan Logan (Christian Brothers) pinch hitting for Matthew Graben (Montevallo), Oddo took off from second, attempting to steal third. When the throw to third sailed into left field, Oddo went home with the winning run.
“One of our goals this summer was to throw a no-no” Hargrove stated, “It’s nice to see that we’re playing the game the right way. I’m proud of my team and I’m happy for them.”
Officially, neither Carpentier nor Snider get credit for a no-hitter. In order to earn that distinction a pitcher(s) must complete the entire contest without allowing a hit.
The last time a no hitter occurred in the NYCBL Nate Sermini and Jon Massad combined as the Webster Yankees defeated the Geneva Red Wings, 4-0 on July 26th, 2011.
Prior to that Brian Pullyblank, also with Webster, turned the trick as the pinstripes defeated Niagara, 1-0 on June 19th, 2009.
Brockport’s PJ Saporito tossed a perfect game against the Elmira Pioneers on July 26th, 2007.
Two opposing pitchers tossing no hitters is indeed a rarity. The last time it happened in Major League Baseball was 1917 when the Chicago Cubs Jim Vaughn and the Cincinnati Reds Fred Toney locked horns. Vaughn lost the bid in the tenth, and Toney got the win and the no hitter.
The Rochester Ridgemen and the Sherrill Silversmiths will meet again on Saturday at Noyes Park for a double header. The first game is scheduled to start at 3pm.
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