By Paul Gotham
SYRACUSE, NY – Less than ten games remain in the regular season for most teams in the New York Collegiate Baseball League. Teams are jockeying for post-season position.
Monday’s matinee at NBT Bank Stadium pitted a pair of playoff contenders.
Malcolm Purdy (Grand Canyon) turned in a solid start, and Spencer Duffie (Mercer) paced a 10-hit attack as the Oneonta Outlaws defeated the Syracuse Jr. Chiefs, 8-4 to take over second place in the NYCBL.
Purdy allowed two runs on eight hits and four walks for his third win of the season. His start was yet another impressive one for head coach Joe Hughes and the Oneonta staff.
“Our pitching has carried us all year long,” Hughes stated. “Our pitching has been the strength of our team. Our top three, four guys are pretty good. We have some good middle guys, and a good closer.”
After surrendering two runs in the second, Purdy did not allow a leadoff batter on for the next four innings. The right-hander struck out four. His outing is one of four in the past week where Oneonta starters have gone deep into the game. Matthew Milburn (Wofford) hurled a two-hit shutout last Monday. Michael Calkins (Tampa) allowed one run in seven-plus on Saturday, and Luke Crumley (University of Georgia) gave up two unearned over seven full on Sunday.
“I like our team because our pitching is pretty solid,” Hughes continued. “We’re just trying to survive some of the doubleheaders and keep them all healthy and keep them all ready.”
Duffie gave Oneonta the lead with a two-out field flare in the top of the second.
“I was just sticking to the plan that the coaches have given the team,” Duffie explained. “I was thinking away, away, away, and react to when the pitcher comes in. I was looking to put the ball in play and hit it hard.”
Evan Harasta (Albany) and Howard Joe (Mercer) came around to score for the 2-0 advantage in a game where the Outlaws never trailed.
“We’re going to need him,” Hughes said of Duffie. “We’re playing pretty good baseball. We’re pitching well and getting timely hitting…We’re happy where we are, but we know there are some good teams out there.”
Duffie scored in the fifth. The sophomore from Appling, GA led with an infield hit and moved to second on a Ryan Tomita (Grand Canyon) ground out. Jake Levine (Brown) put runners on the corners with another infield single. Duffie eventually came home on a wild pitch.
Oneonta added three in the sixth. Horasta singled to right with one out. Heath Holder (University of Georgia) reached on a walk, and Joe loaded the bases when his ground ball up the middle was mishandled.
One out later, Tomita forced in a run with a bases loaded walk. Levine plated a pair with a single through the right side of the infield, and Oneonta led 6-2.
Brandon Stephens (University of Georgia) came out of the bullpen for the Outlaws. The right-hander retired the side in the seventh before having to leave in the eighth with tenderness in his arm. The Marietta, GA is recovering from Tommy John surgery to repair his pitching elbow.
“He had Tommy John, but this is more in his tricep,” Hughes explained. “He’s felt this twinge before. We hope it’s nothing more than that.”
Zach Moreau (Grambling) entered the game in the eighth with one on and a full count.
“I wasn’t really mentally prepared because it happened so fast,” Moreau said of his insertion into the game. “Brandon has been pitching lights out lately. He had Tommy John, so my main goal was to not let any of his runs score. I wanted that for him, but I couldn’t do it. I was a little frustrated.”
After Gary Jones (Delaware) walked, Connor Martin (Clarkson) loaded the bases with a single to left. Gabe Levanti (Virginia Tech) scored on a fielder’s choice. League Player-of-the-Week , Aaron Pigna (Ave Maria) doubled inside the bag at third plating Jones, and Syracuse trailed 8-4.
“He’s been great all year,” Syracuse head coach Chris Haynes said of Pigna. “The second day in a row where we’ve come back, and he’s done it two days in a row getting big hits. He’ll do that in the first inning. He’ll do that in the eighth. He’s been outstanding this year.”
But the Jr. Chiefs could get no closer.
Brian Burns (Itahca) led the bottom of the ninth with a single, but Moreau buckled down from there. The right-hander got Colby Griffin (Castleton St.) to fly out and induced a ground ball off the bat of Levanti for a game-ending 6-4-3 double play.
“My slider was working,” Moreau stated. “I wanted to throw strikes and let my defense work.”
Syracuse scored two runs in the second. Burns walked and scored on a double by Noel Garcia (Northwood). Garcia moved to third on a Levanti ground out and came home on a Jones infield single.
The Jr. Chiefs struggled through a day where two regular infielders, Stanley Susana (St. Thomas Aquinas) and Kenny Hostrander (Eastern Kentucky) sat out nursing injuries. These setbacks come after outfielder Nick Sinay (University at Buffalo) spent significant time on the bench in late June after being hit on the forearm by a pitch.
“What I’ve been doing is subbing , giving a guy here or there a day maybe DH him or give him the day off,” Haynes stated. “That still leaves nine guys in the field who, unfortunately, a couple of them have been getting hurt. We have guys that will fill in. They get the job done for sure. We need to win a couple more and get ourselves secure in the playoffs.”
Jordan Fuller (Seton Hill) took the loss. The right-hander allowed six runs (four earned) on seven hits and two walks. Fuller is 3-3 with an ERA of 4.88.
Oneonta took two of three in the series. The Outlaws now trail first-place Olean by one game. The top two seeds get a first-round bye in the upcoming NYCBL playoffs.
Syracuse hosts a doubleheader with the Geneva Red Wings on Tuesday. First pitch at NBT Bank Stadium is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Oneonta will play the Geneva Twins, Tuesday. A 7 p.m. first pitch is scheduled at Damaschke Field.
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