By Taylor Nigrelli
NIAGARA FALLS, NY — The Niagara Power (11-20) was unable move out of last place Tuesday when it split a doubleheader with the Rochester Ridgemen (13-20) in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Sal Maglie Stadium.
Because the doubleheader was created as a makeup for a previous rainout, each game was only seven innings. The Power took the first game, 2-1, on the strength of a Joshua Schulman (University of Rochester) three-hitter. Niagara then mustered only four hits in a 6-2 defeat in the second game.
The win was Schulman’s first of the season in only his second start.
“He’s a competitor,” Niagara Head Coach Josh Rebandt said. “He goes out and competes every time he’s on the mound. He gives us a chance to win.”
Because of the first game’s 4 p.m. start, there wasn’t much of a home crowd for the Power to feed off. Rebandt believes Schulman’s performance negated the effect of a lack of a crowd.
“I know we don’t have a lot of afternoon games at Sal Maglie, so I knew the pace would be different and things like that. I knew he’d be a guy to go out and compete for us.”
The Power’s only runs came courtesy of an RBI double by second basemen Hunter Lewis (Hampden-Sydney) in the first and an RBI by Scott Gillespie (Covenant) in the fifth.
The two runs scored in the second game brought the Niagara total to four on the day and marked the eighth time in the last nine games the Power have scored two runs or less.
“You hope to score more runs than what we did,” Rebandt said. “We left quite a few runners on base and when you do that, you’re hurting yourself. Then another team capitalizes on our mistakes and we don’t capitalize on theirs. We won’t win many games like that.”
The Ridgemen got on the board early in the second game as Niagara start Jamie Suggs (Augusta St.) was hit to the tune of five runs (four earned) in three innings of work.
After Rochester scored a run in each of the first two innings, the Power tied the game in the second on the strength of a Jimmy Landes (Baylor) RBI double and a Tyler Simmons (Wingate) sacrifice fly.
It didn’t appear the tie would soon be broken as Suggs was able to get two batters out with only one runner on base. That was until second basemen Ben Cicero (Bluefield) singled and right fielder Josh Turner (Patrick Henry) walked to load the bases.
With two outs and the bases loaded, center fielder Matt Simmons (Hendrix) hit a blooper that seemed to land perfectly equidistant between Lewis, shortstop Perry Rigby (Covenant) and center fielder Cameron Wilkie (Brown).
None of the three were able to reach the ball and three Rochester runners scored, essentially ending any hopes Niagara had about sweeping.
“It’s demoralizing,” Rebandt said. “I think even more so when you’re struggling to find a way to win. When the ball finds a hole like that, it is demoralizing. But as an athlete you have to be able to come back from something like that. You have to say ‘ok, that happened’ and find a way to make something else work.”
In the late stages of the game the Power faithful were treated to appearances from two players who haven’t seen the field in some time. Outfielder Cody Pentecost (College of the Ozarks), who has been nursing an injury since July 3, appeared as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning.
Steve Beckham (Olivet Nazarene) made his first appearance all season in relief and pitched one scoreless inning. Rebandt is pleased with the progress both players are making and has hopes both will return to the lineup full-time soon.
“It was Steve’s first outing and he threw the ball well,” Rebandt said. “He’s been throwing a few bullpen pitches each day on the side and each day I ask him how he is and each day he says he’s feeling better and better. So today there was a nice spot for him to come out and throw and I thought he did well. He got a couple ground balls and he looked like the same guy he did last year.
“Cody’s still only about 75-80% but he’s got a good bat and if he can put a ball in a gap at 80%, he can still get to second base.”
Beckham, the 2012 New York Collegiate Baseball League Pitcher of the Year, said he’s finally pitching pain free after being diagnosed with a tight posterior joint capsule early in the summer.
“I felt great,” Beckham said. “I don’t know if it was just adrenaline but no pain so that was a plus. I’m just excited to be back on the field. I’d say I’m about 85-90%. I don’t have all my velocity back but I felt good; no pain.”
Niagara’s next game action will come Wednesday night at 7 p.m. when they host the first-place Olean Oilers.
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