By Paul Gotham
HORNELL, N.Y. — Maybe Geneva’s Twins weren’t quite a monkey on the back of the Hornell Dodgers, but they were close enough for consideration.
That fact provided just enough motivation heading into Thursday night’s New York Collegiate Baseball League action.
Jordan Accetta (Wofford) hurled eight strong innings as first- place Hornell rebounded from a loss earlier in the week to defeat the Twins, 6-4 at Maple City Park.
Accetta struck out two and walked none for his fifth win of the season without any defeats.
“That was pretty big,” Accetta said of the victory over second-place Geneva. “I really wanted to beat them since they are our rival right now. I came out ready to go after them.”
The freshman right-hander retired the first ten batters he faced.
“I just wanted to mix in and out with my pitches just to keep them off-balance,” Accetta explained. “(I wanted) to get ahead in the count and break them off with a slider or changeup. I wasn’t trying to strike everybody out but to get them to hit weak groundballs.”
Thad Johnson (St. Bonaventure) highlighted a three-run fourth with a two-out hit. Johnson plated Rayshelon Carolina (Monroe CC) and Jake Kenney (SUNY Brockport) with a single to right center off Geneva starter, Connor Faix (Case Western Reserve).
“He got behind early 2-0,” Johnson said of the count. “I was sitting fastball. I missed a pitch earlier in my second at bat, and I knew I could pick this kid up. He gave me a pretty good pitch. I just went up the middle with it.”
Carlos Olavarria (Concordia-Chicago) started the rally with a one-out bunt single. Kenney followed with a base on balls. Carolina brought home a run with a double to right field before Johnson pushed the Hornell lead to 5-1.
“I was just trying to give my team some run support,” Johnson added. “Jordan was dealing. We didn’t need to get him too much. We felt like they didn’t really have our number, but kinda felt like they were only team standing between us and really running away with it.”
Hornell took advantage of some early control issues converting four walks into two first-inning runs.
“We lost one the other day and playing the team that’s right behind,” noted Hornell coach Tom Kenney. “After the game the other day, I told these guys ‘Jordan’s going to give us a great outing. Let’s come out swing the bats and get a win.'”
Spencer Scorza (Cornell) capped the first inning with an RBI single and drove in another with a double to left off Geneva reliever Robert Winemiller (Case Western Reserve) in the seventh.
“We had a young guy on the mound,” Geneva coach Nick Callahan said. “He’s certainly talented. He’s got the velocity. He’s just learning how to pitch. It’s the ups and downs of the league.”
Geneva scored a run in the fourth and had the tying run aboard in a two-run sixth.
“We certainly battled back,” Geneva coach Nick Callahan said. “We hit the ball well.”
Michael Konyesni (Mt. Union) led the sixth with a single to right. Tre Edwards (Murray State College) moved the runner with a sacrifice bunt, and Michael Annone followed with an RBI double to the deepest part of the park. Zach Goldstein (So. New Hampshire) moved the runner with a ground out, and Calvin Woolhiser (St. John Fisher) brought home the run with a bounding ball off the plate.
Fernando Garcia (Murray State College) singled to put runners on first and second. Accetta ended the threat when he got a weak fly ball to right.
“He’s got good composure,” Kenney said of his starter. “They hit one ball real good to right center… a ground ball gets through where before it went at somebody. He just keeps pitching. He works quick. He’s a bulldog. He doesn’t get rattled.”
Woolhiser brought home Edwards with a groundout in the fourth.
Geneva scored a run off Hornell reliever Jeff Beall (Urbana) in the ninth. DJ Link (Harvard) reached on a one-out ground rule double, and Jason Ibrahim (Arkansas Pine Bluff) delivered with an RBI pinch hit single.
Neal Krentz (Case Western Reserve) hurled 2.1 innings of shutout ball out of the bullpen for Geneva. The right-hander struck out five and walked none.
“Neal’s got a real heavy fastball,” Callahan commented. He’s another guy who’s kinda young and developing.”
Jonah van Bemmelen (Arcadia) retired all three batters he faced in the ninth.
With the win, Hornell (19-4) stretched their lead to five over Geneva (13-8) in the NYCBL’s Western Division. The Sherrill Silversmiths (12-9) sit atop the Eastern Division.
With his fifth win of the season, Accetta is two off the league-high season mark of seven (since 2006) set by Louie Bernardini (Saratoga Phillies/Oneonta ’06) and Jacob Petit (Utica ’11).
The Twins topped Hornell 8-2, Tuesday night and have handed the division leaders three of their four losses.
Geneva finished with 10 hits to Hornell’s seven. The Twins stranded seven runners.
Annone led Geneva with two hits.
Olavarria collected two hits for Hornell.
Brandon Sandoval (Vanguard) stole three bases for Hornell.
Hornell gets a night off before starting a four-game set with Rochester (10-10).
Geneva hosts Genesee (10-12) Friday night. First pitch is slated for 7 p.m. at McDonough Park. The two will also play four straight head-to-head.
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