By Paul Gotham
GENEVA, N.Y. — The third time has been known to be a charm. Monday night proved just that for the Geneva Twins and their starting pitcher.
Greg Coman (Harvard) tossed six innings of one-run ball as the Twins defeated the Syracuse Salt Cats 7-3 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at McDonough Park.
The southpaw struck out seven and walked none for his first win in his third appearance.
“It was about time,” Coman noted. “First two outings I had rough second innings. I think I just lost my focus a little bit. I knew going into this start what I wanted to work on.”
Coman retired nine of the first ten he faced and limited the damage when he needed.
“I was just trying to throw fastballs and make them hit it, make them put it in play,” Coman explained. “I trust the defense behind me and it worked out for the most part.”
Anthony Morino (Mt. Union) reached on an error to start the Salt Cats fourth. Tom Nagy (Bentley) and Ben Sawyer (Alvernia) followed with back-to-back one out singles. Morino scored on a Cody LaBadia (Southern Vermont) ground ball. But Coman left runners in scoring position getting Adam Thoryk (St. John Fisher) to swing and miss for the the final out of the inning.
Syracuse threatened again in the sixth. Morino led with a double to right field. One out later Nagy, with two hits already on the night, came to the plate with a runner at third.
“He was the one guy I knew who was hitting me,” Coman stated. “He was hitting the ball well. I just left balls over the plate and up that he could throw his hands out and hit. I just kept throwing him fastballs in, broke his bat, and then he struck out.”
Coman took the opening day loss when he allowed seven runs (five earned) in an inning and two-thirds. The Setauket, New York native got a no-decision in a Twins loss on June 7th in when he gave up three runs in five innings.
“It was mostly mental,” Coman said when asked about his first two outings. “Just dealing with my nerves and attacking the zone, throwing strikes and making them hit it.”
Geneva jumped on Syracuse starter Mike Gentile (American International) early.
Mike Annone (Wilmington) drilled a two-run home run in the first to give the Twins a lead they never surrendered. The left-hander plated Zach Goldstein (Southern New Hampshire) with a one-out shot to the right of the “Big Mac” scoreboard in right field.
“I was just looking fast ball, middle in,” Annone recalled. “I got it, just timed it up and elevated on it. Getting two runs like that it really puts a team down, really puts the pitcher down…we just kept putting ’em on them.”
Geneva sent eight to the plate and stretched the lead with a four-run sixth.
Fernando Garcia (Murray State College) led with a double inside the bag at third. Tre Edwards (Murray State College) looked to move the runner, but he beat out a well-placed bunt on the third-base side of the mound. With runners on the corners, Goldstein chased Gentile with a single through the left side of the infield scoring Garcia.
“It’s been three games in a row with multiple runs in the first inning,” Geneva coach Nick Callahan said of his offense.
Calvin Woolhiser (St. John Fisher) greeted Cory Craig (California U of Penn) with a base hit through a drawn infield scoring Edwards and Goldstein. After a DJ Link (Harvard) bloop single, Woolhiser moved to third on a fly ball and scored on a wild pitch.
A trio of Geneva relievers threw an inning apiece to seal the effort. Matthew Klena (Penn St. Greater Allegheny) pitched a scoreless seventh. Neal Krentz (Case Western Reserve) allowed two unearned runs in the eighth, and Jonah van Bemmelen (Arcadia) struck out two in a scoreless ninth.
“We certainly got the talent,” Callahan said. “We just got to do the right thing now.”
The win was Geneva’s seventh in their last eight games. At 7-5 they inched closer to second place Niagara (8-5).
“We were struggling at the beginning,” Annone said. “I knew we were going to be a good team. We finally got it together. Now we’re rolling with it. Just got to keep the momentum going day after day.”
The Salt Cats took advantage of two walks, a wild pitch and an error for two runs in the eighth. Nick DeRegis (Rhode Island) and Nagy crossed the plate when Sawyer reached on a fielding miscue.
Goldstein collected three hits, scored twice and drove in one.
Annone had two hits and scored twice.
Nagy went 2-3 with a double. The Fairfield, Connecticut native has back-to-back two-hit games.
The Twins travel to Niagara for a three-game set with the Power. First pitch Tuesday night at Sal Maglie is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Syracuse (7-8) returns to McDonough Park Tuesday night to play the Geneva Red Wings (7-5). That game is also slated for 7 p.m.
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