By Cameron Boon
SHERRILL, N.Y. — The Cortland Crush got a solid pitching performance from Matthew Engler (Mansfield) in game number one, and got a big three-run home run in the third inning of game two from Connor Dwyer (Saginaw Valley State), as they defeated the Sherrill Silversmiths 2-1 and 8-3 in a New York Collegiate Baseball League doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Noyes Park.
Engler’s five innings of shutout baseball was enough for the win as he scattered four hits while taking out four Silversmiths batters by himself with a strikeout.
The bullpen combination of Luke Drancsak (Onondaga CC) and Ronnie Manella (Utica) held the powerful Sherrill bats to just a home run as the only run and hit in the final four innings.
Conner Griffin (Cortland) started the scoring for the Crush in the third inning, leading off the inning by reaching on an error by the shortstop Reid Neal (Florida Atlantic). He eventually made his way around the bases and crossed home on a Wright wild pitch. This gave Cortland a lead they would not relinquish.
Cortland would not waste any time in the fourth trying to double that lead. Greg Jasek (Clarkson) led off the inning with his first home run of the season, making it a 2-0 Crush lead.
Neal was able to cut the Crush lead down to one with a home run of his own in the eighth, but that was the only offense the Silversmiths could muster. No Sherrill batter was able to put a multi-hit game together.
The Crush would waste no time grabbing the lead in game two, allowing Ben Barnes (Mohawk Valley CC) to work his four innings for the victory in the seven-inning game.
Yale Hughes got it going in the top of the first inning, as he drove a single to the outfield, plating Zachary Racusin (Marist) to make it 1-0. Hughes finished the day 3-for-4, which brought his average up to .364.
Cortland then blew it open in the third with the Dwyer home run, his first of the season. Though Dwyer has struggled throughout the year, coming into the game at .163 batting, he came up big with the home run that would prove to be the winning swing.
Mitch Cavanagh (St John’s) was able to cut the lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth, when he drove in Kevin Brice (Pomona-Pitzer) with an RBI single.
Cortland got another long ball to extend their lead to 5-1 in the fifth. This time it was courtesy of Zephan Kash (Mansfield) as he sent his second of the season over the wall.
The Silversmiths then got as close as they would get all game in the bottom half, putting a pair up to cut it to 5-3. A pitch from Drancsak hit Brice with the bases loaded, so that scored Dalton Rook (Fort Scott CC). Then Kellen Brown (Florida Atlantic) scored when Austin Bouse (Le Moyne) grounded out to the second baseman with the bases juiced.
The Crush put away any rally thoughts Sherrill may have had in the top of the sixth, putting up a trio of runs. Racusin drove in a pair of them with an RBI double, and then Geoffrey Soto (Niagara) scored on Jasek’s sacrifice fly.
The Crush are now 9-12 on the season, but just 2.5 GB in the Eastern Division heading into a Sunday evening matchup with the Wellsville Nitros. That is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
The Silversmiths are now 13-11 as they sit atop the East. They have a day off Sunday before finishing the three-game set with Cortland on Monday. Sherill will need to right the ship now because ever since their 10-game win streak was snapped, they have fell fast, losing seven of eight.
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