By Trey Didio
SHERRILL, NY — The Oneonta Outlaws battled back and took game one, then came out victorious easily in the second game of a doubleheader against the Sherrill Silversmiths in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Noyes Park.
Sherrill got ahead early in the first game thanks to back-to-back home runs courtesy of Doug Putkowski (Suffolk County) and Matt Ederle (Rhode Island). Putkowski’s shot gave him three in two days after hitting two homers in yesterday’s action.
Oneonta quickly responded in the next half inning with two runs of its own. After a strikeout to start the frame, Chris Pindar (SUNY Oneonta) singled. He was forced out at second as Ryan Tomita (Grand Canyon) reached on a fielder’s choice. A Sherrill error kept the inning alive and Jake Levine (Brown) capitalized with a two-RBI single.
The Silversmiths took back the lead in their half of the third after Josh Griffith (Fort Scott) drove in Mike Bunal (Binghamton).
The Outlaws tied it up yet again in the next inning. Evan Harasta (Albany) got things going with a one-out single. He advanced to third following a walk and a hit by pitch. Pindar plated Harasta with a sacrifice fly. Sherrill starter Sklyer Geissinger (Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville) settled down and induced a groundout to end the inning.
The see-saw battle resumed in the bottom of the frame as the Silversmiths regained the lead again.
Oneonta hurler Mike Calkins (Tampa) quickly retired the first two batters before hitting some trouble. He walked the next two hitters and was relieved by Brandon Agar (North Georgia College and State University). Dylin Eschenburg (Saginaw Valley State) greeted Agar with an RBI single. Ka’ai Tom (Fort Scott) did the same as Sherrill took a 5-3 lead.
It was Pindar who came through with the deciding hit in the sixth inning. After two teammates reached base via a walk and single, Pindar drove a pitch over the right field fence for a three-run home run. The blast gave him four RBI for the game. Brian Kraft (Grand Canyon) added an insurance homer to start the seventh inning and capped the scoring at 7-5.
Geissinger picked up the loss for Sherrill after going six innings and allowing six runs (four earned). Sean Getman (Rhode Island College) earned the victory for Oneonta after surrendering just one hit over 1.1 innings of work.
The second game was not quite as back and forth as game one. Kraft tripled to deep center field to bring home Levine in the first inning. Oneonta scored another run on a passed ball with the bases loaded in the second frame. The Outlaws added two more in the fourth inning thanks to a Sherrill error and two base hits.
That was all Alec Romanowski (Stevenson) needed. In the first six innings, the Endwell native faced the minimum and allowed just one hit. Sherrill’s Tom hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning, but by then the game was already out of reach. Romanowski allowed two runs on three hits while striking out five batters.
Oneonta now sits at 22-14 on the year, good for second place and one game behind the Olean Oilers. Sherrill dropped to 15-21 and likely lost all hopes for the postseason. The two teams square off the next two days in Oneonta.
I would like to add, the great job that Heath Holder did in the first game. He came in to close out the game. The Outlaws held them off, to pick up the win on a difficult field to pick up a base hit to RF.
Nice job Alec Romanowski!!!