By Paul Gotham
GENEVA, N.Y. — Sometimes a mistake can work out in the long run. That was the case in Friday night’s New York Collegiate Baseball League game at McDonough Park. A botched double steal worked out for the home team and proved to be the difference in the final score.
Drew Doring (John Carroll) threw seven innings of two-hit ball, and the Geneva Red Wings ended a mini-slump with a 2-1 victory over the Sherrill Silversmiths.
Doring struck out four, walked three and allowed an unearned run for his second win of the season.
“First pitch fastballs for strikes,” Doring said of his approach. “Just getting ahead. First pitch strikes work all the time. It sets you up for the rest of the count.”
The right-hander faced the minimum through four innings and retired the side in order in the seventh.
“If he has his secondary pitch working, he is going to be able to compete until his arm falls off,” Red Wings coach George Schaefer said. “He was able to spin the breaking ball when he needed to, throw it ahead in the count and even behind in the count. From there he just let his defense work.”
Doring hurled 95 pitches on the night – 56 for strikes.
“Getting seven out of him was big,” Schaefer noted. “With a somewhat of a depleted bullpen, we needed it. He was able to help us out.”
Geneva’s offense took advantage of Sherrill’s generosity to score all the runs needed in the fifth.
Tommy Haas and (Arkansas Pine Bluff) and John Cruz (Dowling) led with back-to-back base hits off Sherrill starter, David Wright (SUNY Oneonta). When Haas got a good jump on a pitch, Cruz broke for second. Haas stopped, but Cruz already advanced. Sherrill’s infield hesitated, and Haas was able to move to third for the unconventional double steal.
“In that situation it’s based off the lead runner,” Schaefer explained. “Tommy had a good jump but decided not to go… Thankfully, it worked out in our favor.”
After Ricky Gorrelle (Kutztown St.) got a second life when his pop foul was dropped, the Red Wing second baseman delivered with an RBI seeing-eye single through the right side of a drawn infield. Sam Kim (Hawaii Hilo) followed with an RBI sacrifice fly for a 2-0 Geneva lead.
“You get ’em when you can,” Schaefer noted. “We managed to scratch a few and keep clawing away…We managed to string a couple of hits together and we plated two.”
“We made a couple of mistakes defensively,” Sherrill coach Greg Dombrowski stated. “That’s part of baseball at this level.”
Geneva’s bullpen came on and sealed the deal.
Jalen Burks (Neumann) fanned one in a scoreless eighth, and Ben Ryder (Alabama A&M) worked the ninth for his first save of the season.
“Two great guys,” Schaefer said of his relievers. “They’ve both been working their tails off. They’re seeing results out on the mound.”
Ryder came on to face the heart of the Sherrill order. The 6-7 right-hander got a lazy fly ball and ground out before hitting a batter. A stolen base later and the Silversmiths had the tying run in scoring position.
“I just approach every hitter the same,” Ryder said. “I go with the mentality that I’m going to beat you.”
Ryder struck out the final batter to end the game.
Wright went the distance for Sherrill. The left-hander struck out three and walked one.
“David Wright was outstanding today,” Dombrowski said. “He really attacked the zone in every count tonight, didn’t get into many deep counts.”
The sophomore hurler threw an economical 90 pitches – 69 for strikes. He left the bases loaded in the third and stranded a runner at third in the fourth.
“It was just another great outing fro, him,” Dombrowski added. “I’m not sure if they hit a ball hard tonight, but balls found holes. He kept the ball on the ground, and they found holes. That happens sometimes in this game.”
The Smitties scored their lone run in the sixth. Ellington Hopkins (Monroe CC) worked a one-out base on balls. He advanced to second on a blown pickoff attempt. One out later, Reid Neal (Florida Atlantic) walked to put runners on first and second. Hopkins scored on a double steal when the throw to third went into left field.
After winning a franchise record 10 straight, the Smitties fell for the second straight time.
“We didn’t get off to a great start to season, but then we ran off 10 straight,” Dombrowski commented. “That can happen at anytime just like you can go belly up and lose 10 straight at anytime. We didn’t play well yesterday. It was clearly worst game of the year. Guys have been struggling to find energy here of late because we played a lot of games in a few days. I’m really confident that we’ll come out tomorrow with a lot more energy.”
Kevin Brice (Pomona-Pitzer) rapped a pair of base hits for Sherrill.
Sherrill’s loss coupled with an Oneonta win cuts the Smitties lead atop the NYCBL’s Eastern Division to two. Geneva is two and a half back.
Geneva’s Cruz, Gorrell and Haas each collected two hits. Andrew Utterback (Alabama A&M) also added a pair of singles for the home nine.
Doring has allowed one earned run in 18 innings of work this summer.
The Red Wings (8-7) travel to Syracuse, Saturday and take on the Salt Cats (9-10). A 2 p.m. first pitch is scheduled at Onondaga CC.
Sherrill (12-6) heads out to Houghton for a battle with the Genesee Rapids (6-10). First pitch is slated for 7 p.m. at the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex.
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