By Nick Ristoff
SYRACUSE, N.Y.-Vinnie Mallaro (U of Buffalo) connected on a two-run triple as the Syracuse Jr. Chiefs beat the Cortland Crush 5-2 in a New York Collegiate Baseball League game Saturday night at Onondaga Community College.
“I was even in the count and I was just trying to get something in the gap,” Mallaro said. “We have been really struggling lately and I just wanted to get ahead early.”
Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Jr. Chiefs put together a rally to take the lead. Ryan Roman (Concordia College) led off the inning, walked and with the next batter Cooper Belyea (Ithaca College) at the plate he stole second base. Roman then advanced to third base after the Crush’s catcher Anthony Santoro (Canisius College) overthrew the pickoff attempt at second. Belyea Grounded out to Josh Savacool (Ithaca College) at shortstop.
Matt McCann (Fairleigh Dickinson) walked, stole second and then swiped third with Brian Dudek (U of Buffalo) at the plate. McCann stole five bases on the night and kept his steal percentage at a perfect 100. He has stolen 15 bases this season. Dudek got hit by the first pitch thrown to him. With runners on first and third Vinnie Mallaro stepped up and crushed a deep line drive to left center field.
Mallaro is batting .313, has six RBI, five doubles, a triple and a stolen base on the season.
“I just got to thank the guys on the bench,” Mallaro added. “If I have one bad at bat, they pick me up, and I’ve been really focusing on keeping my swing short and simple.”
The Jr. Chiefs fifth insurance run came in the bottom of the eighth inning when McCann reached home plate on a throwing error.
Shawn Kanwisher (Manhattan College) got the win on the mound for the Jr. Chiefs. He pitched six innings allowed two on no hits, and struck out three.
Cortland’s two runs came in the third inning. Kanwisher walked three batters and two scored on errors. After he closed out the third inning, Kanwisher commanded the strike zone over the remaining three innings.
“I just had to clear my head, get ahead of them and keep on throwing strikes because they weren’t going to beat me with the bats. I just had to pump it in there and let them get themselves out instead of giving them free bases.” Kanwisher said. “The fastball and the slider were getting the outs.”
Thomas Eng (Adrian College) came in for the Jr. Chiefs with only one out in the eighth inning, pitched the remaining of the eighth and the entire ninth. Eng faced six batters, struck out four and allowed no hits.
The Jr. Chiefs and Cortland Crush play again Sunday to cap off the three game series. The series is tied at one. Sunday’s game takes place at Onondaga Community College at 2 p.m.
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