By Nick Ristoff
SYRACUSE, N.Y.- Friday’s game between the Crush and the Jr. Chiefs turned out to be a battle of the bullpens
Matthew Engler (Mansfield U) went four innings, allowed only two hits, struck out two as the Cortland Crush beat the Syracuse Jr. Chiefs 2-0 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action Friday evening at NBT Bank Stadium.
The Jr. Chiefs started the game hot in the bottom of the first inning. Their leadoff man Brian Dudek (U of Buffalo) chopped a ground ball for an infield single. Then Jason Lundy (Fordham) stepped up and laid down a slow rolling bunt that gave Dudek enough time to beat the throw to second, Lundy was safe at first. The following batter, Nate Stemle (Kentucky Wesleyan) walked to load the bases.
“I didn’t really feel comfortable with the first couple of guys,” Engler said. “But I knew once I had the bases loaded I had to just settle in, bear down, and make a good pitch.”
And he did just that. Mark Martin (Bryant) broke his bat on an Engler fastball and the ball dribbled right back to Engler who initiated the 1-2-3 double play. Engler got out of the inning with no runs given up when the next batter Matt Kozuch (Fordham) hit a ground ball to the shortstop Geoffrey Seto (Niagra) who made the nice play to throw him out at first base.
Engler pitched the next three innings without allowing a hit.
“I was in more of a groove with the catcher today,” Engler added. “We had a good game plan going in and I mean I thought we executed it other than the first couple of guys in that first inning.”
Ronnie Mannella (Utica) came in for relief in the fifth inning and picked up right where Engler left off striking out the first three batters he faced and baffling the Jr. Chiefs with his high sidearm release. In total, Mannella pitched three innings and allowed no hits to earn the win.
Cortland’s two runs came in the top of the third inning. With one out, Ben Langey (Gettysburg Col) knocked a base hit that dropped over Brian Dudek’s head. The next batter, Dan McGill (Coker Col), hit a short fly ball to Nate Stemle at second base who dropped the easy catch, Stemle picked up the ball and threw it to Dudek who was covering second for the force out on Langey. McGill was safe at first.
Zach Racusin (Essex CC) reached on an infield single. With runners on first and second, Seto stepped up and hit a two-run double over Luke Emling’s (Villanova) head in center field for the only two runs scored in the game.
Besides giving up those two runs, Tanner Whiteman (Onondaga CC) was hitting all of his spots. He pitched seven innings, allowed three hits and struck out four batters.
“My 2-seam is really running, they’re not squaring it up,” Whiteman said. “My curveball is working really well too, I’m just trying to keep them off balance.”
Besides the 2-seam and curve, Whiteman throws a 4-seam fastball a cutter and a change-up.
So far this season Whiteman is 1-1. He’s pitched 18.2 innings, allowed only 11 hits and has an ERA of 1.92. Whiteman played two years at Onondaga Community College and will be attending the University of Maryland Eastern Shore this upcoming fall semester.
Brian Wright (Seton Hill) relieved Whiteman in bottom of the eighth inning for the Jr. Chiefs and pitched the rest of the game. He struck out two batters and allowed no hits.
The battle continues for the next two days at Onondaga Community College where the Jr. Chiefs and Crush will be facing off. The two teams play at 7 p.m. on Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
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