By Paul Gotham
GENEVA, N.Y. – A quintet of hurlers combined efforts as Geneva’s Red Wings salvaged a doubleheader split (3-7/ 3-1) with the Oneonta Outlaws in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at McDonough Park, Monday.
On a night of adjustments, the Geneva nine did what they needed to keep pace in the Eastern Division.
When a power outage delayed the nightcap in the middle of the first inning, Geneva skipper George Schaefer turned to his bullpen.
“We went with sort of a Johnny whole-staff approach,” Schaefer explained. “We’re a little thin in the bullpen.”
Kyle Dyson (Charleston) started and pitched the first inning, but the 20-30 delay prevented the right-hander from going in the second.
Andrew Utterback (Alabama A&M) took over from there and allowed two hits over three shutout innings. Making his fourth appearance on the mound over the summer he struck out two and walked none.
Utterback, who earned Southwestern Athletic Conference honors and finished ninth in the nation hitting .398, also made eight appearances on the hill for the Bulldogs in the spring.
Monday night the Sigourney, Iowa native picked up his first win of the summer.
“I came in a little earlier than anticipated,” Utterback said of his outing. “It felt good tonight and got the job done for the team.”
The right-hander retired the first two he faced and set down the side after Carson Waln (Wofford) reached on an error. Daniel Fickas (USC Upstate) got aboard on a two-out single in the third. Utterback left him at second.
Ramon Osuna Sanchez (College of Charleston) led the fourth with a triple in the left-center field gap.
“He’s a tough hitter,” Utterback stated. “I just threw whatever I could at him. He got into one.”
Utterback stranded Sanchez at third getting an infield pop up, a come-backer and a strike out.
“Luckily we could hold him at third base,” Utterback said. ”They swing the bat really well one through nine. I knew I had mix it up. I made it work for three innings.”
Ben Ryder (Alabama A&M) and Andrew Mercer (Southern Indiana) both tossed scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
Alex Summers (Neumann) worked the final frame of a seven-inning affair for the save. The right-hander struck out one for his third save of the season.
Geneva scored single runs off Oneonta starter Taylor Hicks (University of Georgia) in each of the first two innings. Sam Kim (Hawaii Hilo) reached on a two-out walk in the first. Travis Kreitz (Kutztown) singled off the glove of a diving Ben Mauseth (Grand Canyon) at second. Mark Huddle (John Caroll) delivered with an RBI single up the middle.
“Taylor got us out of a couple of jams,” noted Oneonta coach Joe Hughes. “He kept us in the game.”
Clint Roche (Marietta) singled to start the second and stole second before moving to third on a wild pitch. He eventually scored on a Jordan Haas (Arkansas Pine Bluff) fielder’s choice.
Kreitz doubled off Oneonta reliever Tresco Shannon (USC Upstate) in the fifth and scored on a Chris Burns (Alvernia) base hit to center.
“We battled,” Schaefer said. “We keep talking about winning series, an eight-game series. Oneonta is a quality team, quality organization. We have the utmost respect for them. We split at their place. To earn a split here and go to 2-2 in the series with four left is pretty big.”
Oneonta threatened in their last at bat.
Mauseth plated John Boland (Herkimer CC) with a two-out single, but the Outlaws left the bases loaded.
“We battled all the way to the end,” Hughes commented. “We got tying runs on base in that last inning, just didn’t get a hit.”
Sanchez went 4-4 with two walks, three RBI and a run scored in the opener – the completion of a suspended game from June second.
“He’s a good hitter,” Hughes said of Sanchez. “He’s a power hitter, but he also has a lot of discipline. You won’t see him swing at a lot of bad balls. You won’t see him get overly anxious.”
Sanchez plated Fickas with the eventual game-winner in the sixth.
“I was just trying to keep everything simple,” Sanchez said. “I try to slow everything down and get big lately for base hits. I’ve been struggling with pitches high in the zone. Been trying to lay off those.”
JT Genovese (Albany) went 5.2 for the win. The right-hander allowed one run on five hits and two walks. He struck out five.
“JT pitched a very good game for us,” Hughes said. “He did a nice job. JT gave us some good innings in the brutal time of the day. It pays off being in shape and working hard on off days, so when you get on the mound you can endure days like today.”
Brandon Agar (N. Georgia) pitched an inning and a third of scoreless ball.
Joseph Romero (Albany) went two innings for his first save of the year.
Frank D’Agostino (Temple) and Taylor Jones (N. Georgia) collected three hits apiece in the first game. Jones drove in one and scored twice.
Fickas had four hits in the doubleheader.
The left field lights went out while Hicks warmed up in the first inning of the nightcap. Temperatures hovered in the upper 80s with humidity at least that.
Oneonta and Geneva remained tied a half-game back of Sherrill and the Syracuse Salt Cats in the NYCBL’s Eastern Division.
Oneonta (12-10) hosts the Syracuse Jr. Chiefs (8-18) Tuesday night. First pitch at Damaschke Field is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Geneva (13-11) gets a night off before traveling to Sherrill Wednesday to battle the Silversmiths (14-11). A 5 p.m. first pitch is slated at Noyes Park.
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