By Stephen Borgna
CORTLAND, N.Y.—The Cortland Crush and Syracuse Salt Cats split a twinbill (9-5/10-2) in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Beaudry Park, Thursday evening.
Cortland found themselves down early in game one. A trio of RBI singles by Cody LaBadia (Southern Vermont), Adam Thoryk (St. John Fisher), and John Galanoudis (Molloy), along with an RBI on a fielder’s choice by Julian Bilodeau (Franklin Pierce) put Syracuse up 4-0 in the first.
Cortland responded in the third on a Zachary Racusin (Essex CC) two run home run.
“It was a changeup middle-in, and I was just trying to stay back, and managed to pick it up out of his hand and put a good swing on it,” Racusin said.
The Crush built off of Racusin’s two-run bomb in the fifth. Zephan Kash (Mansfield) hit a two RBI single down the right field line, putting the Crush within one. Nick Rybarczyk (Southern Illinois) tied it up with a sacrifice fly.
Cortland turned the tables in the sixth, scoring their final runs of the game and taking the lead. Wesley Burghardt (Brockport) walked with bases loaded, and an RBI single by Kash and subsequent two RBI single by Rybarczyk put Cortland comfortably ahead.
Cortland’s offense produced, putting up 11 hits throughout the seven-inning game.
“I tell you what, our bats are waking up,” Cortland Head Coach Yale Hughes said.“I’m happy with today.”
Zachary Lander (Brockport) relieved for Benjamin Parkes (Ithaca) in the seventh. The 6-2 right-hander sealed Cortland’s come-from-behind win in four batters, striking out two.
“We’re just trying to play inning-by-inning, win every inning,” Racusin said. “We didn’t get off to a great start, but we know that if we can win each inning that over the course of the game you’re going to win the game. We just won the battle in there.”
“I think from the beginning everybody felt like we were in it,” Greg Jasek (Clarkson) said. “There was a lot of positive thoughts today. Everybody felt like we were coming together.”
Syracuse was looking for a rebound in game two.
“We have to execute,” Syracuse coach Mike Martinez said. “We told these guys in the second game we can come out and execute and play baseball and come out winning. These guys can swing and hit and run, we just have to capitalize offensively and defensively at the same time.”
Syracuse’s offensive came out swinging in the first, and didn’t stop.
Nick DeRegis (Rhode Island) crossed the plate on a steal to put the Salt Cats on the board. Consecutive two RBI doubles by Ben Sawyer (Alvernia) and Thoryk put Syracuse up 5-0.
Tom Nagy (Bentley) hit a solo shot an inning later.
“He was working me away-away, and he just came up with a change-up,” Nagy said. “I was just looking for a pitch to hit.”
Jon Borchert (Keuka) followed up Nagy’s home run with an RBI double, establishing a commanding lead for Syracuse.
The Salt Cats put up two more in the fourth and another in the seventh, finishing with 10 runs to Cortland’s two. Syracuse had 12 hits in a seven-inning game.
“In the second game we played a lot better,” Martinez said. “We were a little bit more focused and ready to play. In the first game I think we got complacent after going up three, four-to-nothing. This is college baseball at it’s best, and you can’t sit back and wait.”
“The first game was tough,” Nagy said. “Didn’t really finish it out the way we would have planned. But, you know, everybody rallied together as a team, and put together a win.”
“We had to come out with a fire after blowing the lead in that first game,” Shane Cochran (Saginaw Valley State) said. “We just had to keep things together and just go out there and just play hard.”
Cochran started on the hill for the Salt Cats in the second matchup, denying Cortland the offensive success they had the game prior. In five innings of work, the 6-1 right-hander struck out two and walked one, allowing only three hits and one run.
“Fastball, curveball, slider, changeup, pretty much everything was working for me today,” Cochran said. “Everything felt pretty good. It was a good day.”
“Shane’s been tough all year long,” Martinez said. “He’s a hard-nosed kid from Michigan; he’s got a couple losses where he went deep in games, and he probably shouldn’t have lost those games. He’s a hard working kid and his performance was as usual outstanding.”
Evan Flanagan (Rhode Island) relieved Cochran in the sixth, throwing a strikeout and a walk, allowing one run. Cory Fox (Adrian) closed for the Salt Cats, striking out the first three batters he faced.
DeRegis had two hits in game one, and three in the second contest.
LaBadia led the Salt Cats in game one with three hits.
Racusin led the Crush in game one with three hits. He also drove in two.
Burghardt and Kash each finished with two hits apiece in the first contest. Kash finished with three RBI.
Rybarczyk collected three RBI in game one.
Nagy had three hits in game two, finishing with three RBI.
Sawyer collected two hits and drove in two.
Jasek had a home run in game two.
The Salt Cats (19-18) will host the Niagara Power (19-19) at Onondaga CC tonight at 7pm.
The Crush (13-26) will be traveling to McDonough Park this evening to face the Geneva Red Wings. A 5pm first pitch is scheduled.
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