by Dan Lonky (@danlonky)
ONEONTA, NY – In what was, throughout most of the game, a pitcher’s duel between Luke Crumley (Georgia) and Josh Griffith (Ft Scott CC), the Sherrill Silversmiths (16-21) put together an out-of-nowhere ninth inning comeback to beat the Oneonta Outlaws (22-15) 4-1 Friday night in New York Collegiate Baseball League action.
Through the first eight innings of Friday night’s affair at Damaschke Field, Oneonta starter Luke Crumley was fantastic, shutting out the Silversmiths while allowing only two hits and striking out ten. However, his offense got him only one run, which came in the second inning on a Chris Pindar (Oneonta) RBI groundout. That lone run failed to stand up for the Outlaws, as the Silversmiths scored four runs in the ninth against closer Brandon Agar (North Georgia).
Agar, who had been nearly flawless closing games for Oneonta this season, came in looking to protect his team’s miniscule lead. The inning started innocently enough, as Agar retired the first two Sherrill batters on a fly out and a strikeout. Down to their final out, the batter for the Silversmiths was Oneonta native Nate Eastman (Finger Lakes CC).
Eastman kept his team alive, as he singled up the middle. Connor Breslin (Maryland Eastern Shore) followed by blooping a ball into no-man’s land in shallow right field. Oneonta second baseman Mitch Hollander (Cortland) hustled to get under the pop up, but failed to make the tough catch as the ball hit right off his glove and landed for a base hit. With the tying run now on third, Sherrill head coach Dennis Duffy called on Matt Ederle (Rhode Island) to pinch-hit.
Ederle came through in the clutch against Agar, as he singled right past third baseman Howard Joe (Mercer) to score Eastman and tie the game at one. With Breslin, the go-ahead run, now on second base, Duffy once again called on a pinch-hitter, this time going with Andre Kashou (Tampa).
Kashou followed Ederle’s lead, as he too singled into left field, scoring Breslin and giving Sherrill their first lead of the night. The Silversmiths, however, were not done just yet, as Douglas Putkowski (Suffolk County CC) stepped up and socked a base-hit into right field, scoring two more runs against Agar. The nightmare inning for Oneonta ended there, but the damage had already been done, as the Silversmiths jumped ahead and gave themselves a three-run lead.
“All year they’ve battled ‘til the final out. They did that again tonight and I couldn’t be prouder of them for putting together that comeback for Josh, he definitely deserved it after the game he threw,” said Duffy after the game.
Griffith came out for the ninth and worked around a Hollander single to nail down the complete-game and the victory for Sherrill. The right-hander tossed a great game and was properly rewarded with a victory, as he allowed only one run on three hits through all nine innings
“These guys we’re working behind me all night on defense. I just threw strikes and they picked me up and it was great having that comeback at the end,” Griffith said. “My slider and fastball were working well for me. And getting ahead, that was big too,” he added.
Their devastating loss keeps Oneonta in second place in the NYCBL standings, as they fail to take advantage of the first place Olean Oilers’ (21-12) Friday night loss to the surging Wellsville Nitros (19-16). Playing the role of spoiler, the Silversmiths remain at the bottom of the standings and are very likely out of playoff contention.
The Outlaws will look to shake off the tough loss and get revenge, as they’ll be at home tomorrow, July 20th, taking on the Silversmiths once again.
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