By Gina Papineau
WEBSTER, NY — The Rochester Ridgemen and the Syracuse Salt Cats met for a double header at Basket Road Field Sunday night in New York Sunday night. The Ridgemen took the first game, defeating the Salt Cats 4-0, and were then defeated by the resilient Syracuse team in the second game 4-1.
With the Ridgemen playing as the away team, Josh Davis (Whitworth) got the team started in the first inning with a 2-out double. Nick Wolyniec (Siena) then followed and made it to first on an error by the Salt Cat’s third baseman. Nick Oddo (Cal St San Bernardino) sent both Davis and Wolyniec home with a triple, as the Ridgemen took the lead 2-0.
In the third inning, Davis powered the Ridgemen to one more run after he got on base with another double and then stole home. The Salt Cats had the chance to score in the fourth after Anthony Massicci (Canisus) earned a 2-out triple. The next batter was struck out by Ridgemen pitcher Joel Belk (Azusa Pacific), and the scoring opportunity was shut down.
Nick Wolyniec started the sixth inning off strong for the Ridgemen, and ended it the same way. He got on base first with a single, and then advanced to third off of a Josh Turner (Patrick Henry) double, and eventually scored the team’s final run of the game. The Ridgemen defense was able to hold off the Salt Cats for the remainder of the game.
“In the first game they (the Ridgemen) were a little bit better than us,” commented Syracuse head coach Mike Martinez. “But we should be competing at the top of this league all day long.”
The tides had seemed to turn for the second game, as the first Salt Cat up to bat, Carlos Guzman (Malloy), earned a double to right field. Massicci then got on base with a single while Guzman advanced to third. Both then scored off of a big single by Christian Fiorito (Concordia). As the Ridgemen had in the first game, the Salt Cats took a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
The Salt Cats gained another in the fourth when Tucker Starkey (Ave Maria), after getting on base with a single, scored off of a single by Mike Mascari (SUNY Oswego). Anthony Massicci earned a ground rule double in the fifth inning, and then made his way around the bases for another run. He stole third, and then stole home on a passed ball, as the Salt Cats pulled away from the Ridgemen 4-0.
“We just told the guys to stay focus and get busy and play baseball”, Martinez said on the turn-around of his team’s performance.
The Ridgemen tried to make a comeback after getting on board in the sixth. Taylor Empkey was walked, and then scored off of a Josh Davis 2-out double to deep right field. Syracuse closing pitcher Bo Watson (St Bonaventure) halted the Ridgemen’s scoring chances and struck out the final batter. He met with 9 batters at the platter, struck out 4, walked 1, and only allowed 2 hits.
“The second game we came out and played a little bit better and we came out on top,” said coach Mike Martinez, “Which normally should be the case for a team like this.”
The Salt Cats will take on the Syracuse Jr. Chiefs tomorrow, while the Ridgemen will be playing at Olean.
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