By Kathryne Davis
SHERRILL, N.Y. — The Sherrill Silversmiths won in thrilling fashion Monday night.
Kellen Brown (Florida Atlantic U) went 3-4 and batted in the winning run on a walf-off base hit, sending the Silversmiths to a 7-6 win over the Syracuse Salt Cats in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Noyes Park. The win was Sherrill’s second straight and third straight over Syracuse this season.
Sherrill scored six runs in the first inning and chased starting pitcher Mike Gentile (American International Col) out of the inning soon after the second out was made.
The Salt Cats got into trouble in the bottom of the first by walking batters. Bryan Baquer (Washington Col) led off the bottom half of the first with a walk and Reid Neal (Florida Atlantic U) reached on a walk after an error allowed Ellington Hopkins (Monroe CC) to land safely at first. With the bases loaded, Kevin Brice (Florida Atlantic U) blasted a shot that bounced over the outfield wall. Baquer and Neal scored on the ground-rule double. Mitch Cavanagh (St. Johns U) kept the scoring going with a sacrifice fly bringing Neal home. Brice scored when Alex Saville (Monroe CC) reached on an error. Nick Duarte (Siena College) plated Austin Bouse (LeMoyne) with a single. The Silversmiths led 5-0 before the second out of the inning was recorded. The team was not done. Syracuse tried to turn a double play, but the catcher made an error, which allowed Duarte to score after Baquer hit.
In the third inning, the Salt Cats got on the board after a Nick DeRegis (Rhode Island) home run.
Syracuse tacked on another run in the fifth. Tom Nagy (Bentley U) reached on a bases loaded groundout allowing DeRegis to score.
But Sherrill avoided any more damage.
DeRegis kept raking with another home run in the sixth – a three-run shot trimming the lead to one at 6-5.
That set up the ninth inning dramatics.
Down by one, Nagy led off the top half with a double. John Galanoudis (Molloy Col) followed with an RBI single, tying the game at six.
For the Silversmiths in the ninth, a walk-off was in mind and the team came through. Saville reached on hit by a pitch and advanced on a perfect sacrifice bunt by Dalton Rook (Ft. Scott CC). Brown singled to right field, plating Saville with the game winner.
“We had a 6-0 lead,” said Brown. “We had to win the game. Rook set it up perfectly.”
Even though he gave up the tying run in the ninth, Zachary Vennaro (Monroe CC) earned the win, while Brandon Bell (Mt. Union Col) received the loss. Errors proved to be an issue, with each team having five. The Silversmiths only got three earned runs, while the Salt Cats got four earned runs. Coach Greg Dombrowski said that defensive will continue to be one thing the team will need to improve on in order to keep themselves in the game and not let the opposing team get back in.
Even after blowing a six run lead, Sherrill did not get down on themselves. “We were positive going into the ninth,” said Dombrowski. He also said that the team did not quit, which led to the win.
Sherrill (4-4) will go on the road tomorrow to face the Geneva Redwings at 7 p.m. in McDonough Park, while Syracuse (4-5) will play at home at 7 p.m. against the Cortland Crush.
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