By Nick Ristoff
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Luke Emling (Villanova) connected on a two-run triple, and the Syracuse Jr. Chiefs held on to defeat the Oneonta Outlaws, 4-3 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Onondaga Community College.
Emling plated Jason Lundy (Fordham) and Vinnie Mallaro (University of Buffalo) with a one-out hit off Oneonta reliever Ethan Evanko (Grand Canyon U).
“I thought the team stayed focused and were able to come out guns blazing in the last few innings,” assistant coach Joe Riley said.
Syracuse struck in the home half of the first.
Leadoff man, Matt McCann (Fairleigh Dickinson) reached on an error. Ryan Roman (Concordia) dropped a sacrifice bunt, and the speedy McCann took third base. Lundy plated the game’s first run with a single to right field allowing McCann to cross home plate.
The Jr. Chiefs tacked on their second run in the bottom of the third inning. Roman beat out an infield single to third and stole second. Nate Stemle (Kentucky Wesleyan) delivered with a two-out RBI single to center.
Patrick Merryweather (Onondaga CC) allowed two runs on seven hits over six complete innings. The left-hander struck out 11 and walked three.
“My cutter was working against the lefties and my breaking stuff was working well, (I was) changing it up throwing fastballs late in the counts,” Merryweather said. “I’m usually a ground ball pitcher, but today I went for strikeouts and it worked out well for me,” he added.
Oneonta put their runs on the board in the fifth and sixth.
Matthew Bolger (South Alabama) led the Oneonta fifth with a single to right and stole second. Frank D’Agostino (Temple) plated Bolger when his line drive to right found a hole.
The Outlaws got a little help from the heavy air in the sixth. With one out, Tyler Martis (Siena) hit a high fly ball to center field which neither Emling nor Carlos Tapia (Siena) could locate through the fog. The ball dropped, and Martis advanced to third. A wild pitch allowed Martis to score.
At that point, the fog was so thick, umpires delayed the game for approximately 30 minutes until it was deemed safe to play.
Taylor Jones (N. Georgia College and St. U) doubled and scored in the seventh, but the Outlaws could not push the tying run across the plate.
Thomas Eng (Adrian) picked up his sixth save of the season. The right-hander struck out three and retired the first five he faced.
“I like to think that I’m better, so I have that in my head already,” Eng said. “I try to hit my spots and try to hit the outside and inside corners, hopefully they get themselves out.”
Syracuse improves to 8-13 with the win. Two and a half games separate the J-Chiefs from fourth place.
Oneonta falls to 9-8. The Outlaws sit a game back of first place Sherrill in the NYCBL’s Eastern Division.
The same two teams meet Thursday night, 7 p.m. at Damaschke Field in Oneonta.
Leave a Reply