By Cameron Boon
WEBSTER, N.Y. — Depth of the lineup is key to winning close baseball games. The Ridgemen benefited from that Monday night as Shane Soria (Glendale CC) and Matt Emge (University of Pittsburgh), the eight and nine hitters in the lineup, went 6-for-7 and Rochester defeated the Geneva Twins 5-3 in a New York Collegiate Baseball League Western Division matchup at Basket Road Field.
“It was a great team win tonight,” Emge said as Rochester improved to 2-0 on the year while the Geneva Twins dropped to 0-2.
It was another great pitching performance from the Ridgemen staff. This time it was Jacob Chipka (Hope College) starting and going seven strong innings to earn the victory for Rochester, allowing three runs on four hits while striking out five batters.
The Rochester bullpen of Dustin King (Hannibal-LaGrange College), Brian Epstein (Clarendon College), and Colton Roberts (Toccoa Falls College) combined to shut out the Twins over the last two innings to seal the victory.
Jake Shields (Case Western Reserve University) went five innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and striking out four in a losing effort for the Twins.
The Ridgemen took control early in the game by putting up two runs in the bottom of the second. Soria drove in the first run with an RBI single, scoring Ethan Luna (Southwestern University). Soria would then score when the next batter, Emge, lined a double into the left-center field gap.
Alexander Mumm (Judson University) scored in the bottom of the third courtesy of Alex Storaci’s (Blue Mountain CC) triple, making it a 3-0 Ridgemen lead after three innings for the second consecutive game.
“We are able to start the game off with energy and intensity,” coach Brady James said of his team’s hot start to the last couple games. The problem is sustaining this, which the Ridgemen have not been able to do. “We still have to find consistency with it so it lasts for all nine innings,” James added.
That lead was gone in a flash in the top of the fifth. In really their only offensive threat of the game, the Twins had the bases loaded with two outs and the batter was Mike Annone (Wilmington University). “I was just looking for a single to get our team on the board,” he said.
He did more than that, sending a triple to the left field corner, clearing the bases and tying the game at three. There was no momentum of any kind captured by the Twins off this hit, and the Ridgemen were able to stay with it. “Our guys are very strong and resilient,” James said, describing his team.
He was however stranded at third when Zach Goldstein (Southern New Hampshire University) grounded out to end the inning. The Twins left five runners on base, four of which were left in scoring position. These were missed opportunities for Nick Chandler’s team, who has only mustered up eight runs in their first two games while allowing 15. “We just haven’t been able to get the big hit when we’ve needed it,” Chandler said.
“We just need to stay patient and get hitters counts and those opportunities will be runs,” Annone added.
The Ridgemen would take the lead back for good in the bottom of the seventh, again courtesy of the eight and nine hitters. Soria drilled a triple to right center to start the inning. “He (Faix) pumped two fastballs by me and I was fortunate enough to connect on the third,” Soria said.
He then scored when Emge drove in his second run of the game by way of a single, putting Rochester up 4-3. “When a guy gets a big hit in front of you, it makes it easy,” Emge said. “I could hit pretty much anything there and score him.”
Rochester was able to get an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, when leadoff man Trent Sullivan (MidAmerica Nazarene University) worked a bases-loaded walk, bringing home Storaci from home and extending the lead.
Epstein started the last inning, but after a leadoff walk, James turned it over to Roberts who retired the three batters he faced, stranded the runner, and secured the victory.
The Twins have fallen to 0-2 for the second consecutive year, and this is the first time the Ridgemen are 2-0.
The two teams meet again tomorrow night, but this time in Geneva at McDonough Park with first pitch scheduled for 7:00 p.m
Cam,
Swiss or Cheddar? What would you call it which Roberts was dealing?