By Nate Discavage
ONEONTA, N.Y. — The Oneonta Outlaws took two games from the Cortland Crush, Friday. The paths to victory could not be any more different.
Oneonta outplayed the Crush in every aspect of the game to take game one 5-1. Game two went into extra innings before Dan Fickas (University of South Carolina-Upstate) hit a walk-off double to give the Outlaws a 1-0 win Friday night at Damaschke Field in New York College Baseball League action.
Austin Wallace (University of Georgia) had his best performance of the season on the mound in game one. He held Cortland to just three hits and gave up one run in six and two thirds innings. Wallace improved to 2-1 on the season.
“I just tried to be more of a pitcher, not strike everybody out,” the junior from Kathleen, Georgia said.
Greg Jasek (Clarkson University) toed the mound for Cortland. He threw over 70 percent of his pitches for strikes but gave up five runs on eight hits. Jasek walked one and struck out seven. He fell to 2-2 on the season. Even after allowing five earned runs, Jasek’s season ERA stands at 2.53.
The Outlaws jumped out to an early lead in the first inning. Frank D’Agostino (Temple University) hit a two-out, tw0- run double before scoring on Carson Waln’s (Wofford College) RBI single.
The Crush slightly closed the gap when Christopher Kwitzer (University of Buffalo) ripped an RBI double to left field in the second inning.
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Ben Mauseth (Grand Canyon University) responded in the fourth with a two-run double. Oneonta took a 5-1 lead and never looked back.
Fickas and Waln both had two hits for the Outlaws in game one.
Kwitzer added a single for his second hit of the ball game.
Ben Parkes (Ithaca College) scattered three hits over six and a third shutout innings for Cortland in game two. The southpaw struck out eight.
Brandon Agar (University of North Georgia) pitched four and two thirds innings after entering the game as a reliever in the fourth. He only allowed one hit in that span and struck out three batters. The right-hander improved to 2-1 and lowered his ERA to 1.71.
“I knew that if I gave the guys an opportunity to win the game, they would do it for me,” Agar said.
Even though the Crush out hit Oneonta 7-4 in game two, the Outlaws managed to score the game’s only run in the eighth inning.
Oneonta threatened in the bottom of the seventh after loading the bases on a single, error, and walk before Taylor Jones (University of North Georgia) hit into a double play to end the inning.
Tyler Martis (Sienna College) was hit by a pitch with one out in the bottom of the eighth. Fickas then blasted a double into the gap which would have gone for a home run in almost any other park in the NYCBL. His teammates stormed out of the dugout and began celebrating as if they had just won the league championship
“I was just hoping [Martis] could get home,” Fickas said after he hit the ball in the gap.
Fickas was the only player with multiple hits in both games. He went 4-6 on the day.
Zachary Racusin (Marist College) and Jasek both had two hits for Cortland in game two.
“Our pitchers did a great job, especially in the second game,” Oneonta coach, Joe Hughes said. “Good day here at the ballpark, lot of people here, so we’re feeling good about today’s effort.”
Cortland refused to feel discouraged following the sweep.
“One of the teams have got to lose and unfortunately that was us today,” the Crush’s coach, Bill McConnell said following the game. “We are going to come out and compete every game.”
With 27 stolen bases, Mauseth officially moves into fourth place for single-season high since 2006.
The same two teams meet again in Oneonta, Saturday. The Outlaws (14-12) trail the Geneva Red Wings (16-11) in the NYCBL’s Easter Division by a game and a half. Five games separate Cortland (11-16) and first place.
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