By Kyle Conklin and Paul Gotham
GENEVA, NY – With their once promising season hanging tenuously in balance, the Wellsville Nitros needed someone to lead the way. Head coach Anthony Barrone called on the league’s top hitter, and the Nitros coach got what he wanted.
Scott DeJong sparked a decisive fifth-run rally as the Nitros earned a road split (6-3/7-5) with the Geneva Red Wings in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at McDonough Park.
DeJong led the fifth with a double into the left center field gap, and the Nitros went on to erase a three-run deficit with five runs on five hits.
“I told him to put us on your back,” Barrone stated. “As you can see, look at his numbers and what he did.”
The Nitros started the inning with five straight hits and chased Geneva starter, Adam Brant (SUNY Purchase).
“It just shows what type of team we have,” Barrone commented. “We have a bunch of competitors.”
David DeWolfe (Francis Marion) followed DeJong with a single into right putting runners on the corners. With DeWolfe going on the pitch, Shane Barley (St. John Fisher) chased Brant with a double inside the bag at third scoring both runners.
The Nitros didn’t stop there.
Tyler Lau (Illinois-Springfield) greeted Zach Augustine (Johns Hopkins) with an opposite field single to right scoring Barley. Alec Bahnick (Bellarmine) kept the baton moving with an RBI base hit through the left side. After a double steal, Lau came home on a wild pitch, and Christ Conley (Canisius) capped the stanza plating Bahnick with a base hit.
DeJong added an insurance run in the sixth with a leadoff solo shot which easily cleared the fence in left center field. The home run was the slugger’s second of the day and 13th of the season as with each round-tripper he establishes a new standard for home runs.
“There’s no questioning his ability to hit home runs,” said Geneva coach Ross Trachtenberg. “He showed it again today. Those were bombs.”
After losing the opener the Nitros, who started the season 7-3, looked ready to fall to 13-16.
“Right now we’re in a valley,” Barrone explained. “I challenged them before the game. We’re either going to be three games under or be right in the thick of things.”
The Red Wings put runs on the board in the second, third and fourth innings to take a 4-1 lead.
Bret Viola (Stevens Inst) led the second with a double to left. One out later, Max Townley (University of the Ozarks) reached on an errant throw, and Vila scampered home.
Dustin Stuck (Alvernia) started the third with a single through the left. Vernon Trice III (Oglethorpe) moved the runner with a sacrifice bunt, and Aaron Tovsky (Davidson) delivered with a double to left.
The Red Wings added two more in the fourth. Trice III and Tovsky both had RBI hits for the Wings.
Geneva threatened to blow the game open with bases loaded and one out, but Talas Mahon (Pitt Bradford) came out of the bullpen and induced a 1-6-3 double play to end the inning. This came after the third inning when Wellsville starter, Justin Wood (Penn St-Behrend) worked out of bases-loaded-one-out jam with a pair of strike outs.
“Justin battled today,” Barrone commented. “He didn’t have his best stuff. Those were huge strike outs.”
“Talas did a wonderful job. He gave the other team a different look being a left-handed pitcher. Talas pounds the zone. He had command of his fastball today, but his fastball has so much movement with wood bats that’s all you need.”
After a nine-day delay the Red Wings walked away with a 6-3 victory in the opener. Jason Meger (North Park University) picked up the win in a game previously started by Jordan Hanlon (Elmhurst College).
The Red Wings got on the board early with a run in the top of the first inning. After a leadoff single by Zak Worsley, (North Park University) Scott Shields (Cuesta College) reached on a walk after fighting off several two strike pitches to make it first and second with no outs for the Wings. After a sacrifice bunt by Casey Fox (Haverford College), Andrew Gronski (Case Western Reserve) grounded out to the shortstop to plate Worsley and give Geneva a 1-0 lead.
Geneva didn’t wait long to get on the board again. On the second pitch of the inning Lee Miller (Davidson College) sent a home run over the right field wall to give the home team a 2-0 lead. With two outs in the inning leadoff man Zak Worsley got the inning going again with a single. Shields again followed with a walk and the next batter Casey Fox delievered a single to left to score Worsley and give the Red Wings a 3-0 advantage.
In the top of the fifth inning De Jong showed why he is the league leader in homeruns drilling a two run shot over the left field wall to trim the Red Wing lead back down to 3-2. The power hitting Nitros got back on the board again in the top of the seventh with another home run over the left field wall this time a solo shot by Clint Scarborough (Wabash College) to tie the game at 3-3.
However in the bottom of the seventh the Red Wing bats finally woke up. John Dockins (Kutztown University) lead of the inning with a walk, and then was successfully sacrificed over by Worsley. The next batter, Scott Shields (Cuesta College) singled to left and giving the home team runners at first and third with one out. After a stolen base by Shields to make it first and third Casey Fox (Haverford College) delivered a single to left to score Dockins. Andrew Gronski (Case Western Reserve) then delivered a ground ball to the second baseman which was misplayed allowing Shields to score and make it 5-3 Red Wings. A Brian Weightman (St. Bonaventure) single scoring Casey Fox would give the Wings their sixth and final run of the game.
After a scoreless inning by Meger, Rob Winemiller (Case Western Reserve) worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to close out the Nitros and give Geneva the win.
Wellsville is a half-game out of the playoffs at 14-15. The Red Wings fall to 13-16.
The two teams meet Sunday in Wellsville for another twinbill. A 1 p.m. first pitch is on the docket at Wellsville Central Schools.
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