By Paul Gotham
GENEVA, N.Y. — Geneva’s Red Wings went searching for a change of fortune. They found it in the shape of a doubleheader sweep.
John Cruz (Dowling) paced the offense, and Matt Kozemchak (Lehigh) turned in a workmanlike effort on the mound in game one as the Red Wings took two (8-2/7-2) from the Syracuse Salt Cats in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at McDonough Park, Saturday night.
Cruz connected on three hits in the nightcap including a bases-loaded single in the fifth plating a pair of runs as the Red Wings added insurance.
“I’ve been aggressive all year,” Cruz said when asked about the at bat. “He left it there. I should have done more with it. I got a good pitch. I got a good swing. That’s all I can ask in that situation.”
After starting the season with eight hits in his first 12 at bats, Cruz came into Saturday mired in a 2-for-17 slump. He busted out with five base raps on the night.
“He had struggled the past two games,” Geneva coach George Schaefer commented. “Balls just weren’t finding holes. He managed to find some gaps and hit some line drives. It’s good to get him hot again.”
Cruz got the Wings on the board in the bottom of the first with an opposite field single. The Levittown, New York native swiped a pair of bags and eventually scored on an Andrew Utterback (Alabama A&M) sacrifice fly.
“I just tried to simplify a few things,” Cruz said of his approach at the plate. “I don’t try to make it too complicated. So far it’s been working.”
Geneva broke open the second game with a four-run fourth when six straight reached base to chase Salt Cats starter, Yaniel Delgado (Benedict). Jordan Haas (Arkansas Pine Bluff) greeted reliever Cory Fox (Adrian College) with a bloop single over a drawn infield scoring one.
“The guy came in with two fastballs right off the bat,” Haas explained. “I’m thinking 0-2, here comes the curve ball. You got to protect. You got to keep the at bat going. I just blooped one over the second baseman.”
Travis Kreitz (Kutztown) started the inning with a walk. Clint Roche (Marietta) followed with an opposite-field double. Cameron Coons (Alvernia) singled through the left side of the infield to score a run. Mike Osinski (Longwood U via Vestal High) brought home a run with a two-bagger of his own, and Cruz capped the scoring with a single to right.
The wins snapped a five-game slump for Geneva (5-5).
“We’ve been hurting ourselves on defense,” Cruz noted. “Walking a few guys, not hitting with runners in scoring position. Today, we just came out with a different attitude. We were attacking from the start. It pays off. We played together. That’s why you see two wins.”
Drew Doring (John Carroll) started and went five innings for the win. The right-hander allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks while striking out six.
Kozemchak allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits over six innings in game one.
“Pretty much had a gameplan to just go after these kids,” Kozemchak said. “My changeup is pretty much my go-to pitch. I’ll throw that in counts 1-0, 2-0 just trying to get kids to rollover out in front or hit lazy fly balls. After the first inning we realized even if we get ahead of kids, runner on, pitch to contact and try to get kids to hit.”
Brian Zielinski (Alvernia) hurled a scoreless inning in the opener.
Bret Viola (Stevens Institute of Technology) came on with two on in the second game and retired three straight to end the game.
“We have a quality bullpen,” Schaefer said. “We have guys that we can put in a lot of situations. They’re going to succeed. We saw that tonight.”
Clay Sabesky (Kutztown) drove in two as Geneva jumped to a 3-0 in the first.
Cruz, Kozemchak (doing double duty) and Julio Nunez (Alabama A&M) each collected an RBI as the Wings added three more in the second.
Syracuse stranded 18 runners on the night including bases loaded in the fifth and sixth innings of the nightcap.
The Salt Cats were coming off a road exhibition win over the Elmira Pioneers of the PGCBL, Friday night. The Cats traveled back to Syracuse after Friday’s game before heading out to Geneva on Saturday.
“We don’t want to make excuses,” Syracuse assistant Shaun Caveny stated. “We’re not going to alibi on a long night and then a turnaround today. We’re better than we played today. We will show it. We just have to keep working, keep grinding. Everyday we’re going to get a little bit better. Today, we just didn’t bring it. They had timely hitting with two outs. They had guys in scoring position. They cashed them in. We had multiple opportunities to cash guys in. We didn’t tonight. You know what, sometimes you’re the windshield. Sometimes, you’re the bug.”
Anthony Marino (Mount Union) collected three hits for Syracuse in game one.
John Galanoudis (Molloy) and Adam Thoryk (St. John Fisher) both had two hits in game two.
Sabesky had two hits for Geneva.
Tommy Haas (Arkansas Pine Bluff) had two hits and scored twice.
The Salt Cats (6-7) host Oneonta (4-2), Sunday at Onondaga Community College. A 7 p.m. first pitch is scheduled.
Geneva takes on the Syracuse Jr. Chiefs. A 6:30 start time is slated at NBT Bank Stadium.
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