By Nate Discavage
ONEONTA, N.Y. — The Oneonta Outlaws topped an upset-minded Cortland Crush Monday night at Damaschke Field in New York College Baseball League action. Ahead 10-3, the Outlaws survived a four-run scare by the Crush in the bottom of the ninth.
Austin Wallace (University of Georgia) got the win for Oneonta (8-7). Wallace kept Cortland hitless until Zachary Racusin (Essex Community College) knocked a single to right field in the sixth inning. He left the game after allowing two earned runs and two hits.
Josh Mollett (St. Leo College) took the loss for Cortland (6-10). Mollett allowed four runs in three and two-thirds innings pitched. He walked four batters and hit two.
Outlaw pitchers, Daniel Ferrell (Santa Ana College) and Jaren Drummond (Grand Canyon University) both had scoreless outings coming out of the bullpen.
Benjamin Parkes (Ithaca) held Oneonta in check in the fifth inning.
Both teams’ pitching staffs combined to allow 12 walks and six hit batsmen; the defenses combined to commit five errors in the game.
Immediately following the game, Outlaws’ coach, Joe Hughes praised catcher, Carson Waln’s (Wofford College) breakout performance. Waln had two hits, an RBI, two runs scored, three stolen bases, and threw out two runners attempting to steal second.
“Carson Waln had a heck of a game for us defensively making plays and offensively getting key hits and stealing bases.”
Waln refused to take all the credit and, when given the opportunity to talk about his contribution to the game, praised his teammate Jimmy Hand (Northeastern University) for driving in a much needed insurance run towards the end of the game.
“Shout out to Jimmy [Hand] for coming up big for us,” Waln said with a huge smile. “We definitely needed those runs.”
Every Outlaw was able to reach base at least once in the game. On top of boasting a high on-base percentage, Oneonta ran wild. They were successful in all 10 stolen base attempts on the night. Who else would be leading them but Ben Mauseth (Grand Canyon University)? Mauseth stole five bases on the night and raised his league-leading season total to 23.
“I got good jumps and good reads and picked my spots well,” the Oneonta third baseman said following the game.
A throwing error gave Cortland an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first before Oneonta proceeded to score seven unanswered runs.
Ramon Osuna Sanchez (College of Charleston) tied the game in the bottom of the first with a sacrifice fly. After stealing third, Mauseth was able to trot home with the go ahead run as the catcher’s throw sailed over the head of the third baseman.
Kody Ruedisili (Wofford College) added two more runs in the fourth inning with a single to left field. Osuna Sanchez knocked in his second RBI of the night with a double in the fifth inning before scoring on Waln’s second hit of the ballgame. Hand gave the Outlaws their seventh run of the night with an RBI groundout in the bottom of the fifth.
Cortland stayed alive in the sixth inning with Wesley Burghardt’s (SUNY Brockport) RBI double and managed to push a run across the plate on an Oneonta double play.
Frank D’Agostino (Temple University) hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh to increase the Outlaws’ lead to 8-3. Taylor Jones (University of North Georgia) added a run with an RBI single before Ruedisili scampered home on the wild pitch. Heading into the top of the ninth, the Outlaws held a commanding 10-3 lead.
Geoffrey Seto (Niagara University) knocked a two-run double into left to cut Oneonta’s lead to 10-5. Racusin’s RBI single made it 10-6. The Outlaws’ fourth error of the night allowed a seventh run to score before Drummond got a strikeout and groundout to end the ballgame.
“Never give up until the last out,” Cortland coach, Bill McConnell said. “Baseball is timeless. You just take it one hit…at a time.”
The Outlaws move within one game of the Sherill Silversmiths (12-9) for first place in the Eastern Division and will host the Syracuse JR Chiefs (7-12) in the conclusion of their five-game home stand tomorrow.
Cortland (6-10) has an off day before traveling to Geneva to face off with the Red Wings (9-8).
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