By Nate Discavage
ONEONTA, N.Y. — With the regular season winding down, the Eastern Division race is heating up in the New York College Baseball League. The top four teams are all separated by four-and-a-half games. Friday night saw the second place Oneonta Outlaws defeat the first place Geneva Red Wings 11-4 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Damaschke Field.
Austin Wallace (University of Georgia) took the mound for the Outlaws. Despite only allowing one run and striking out four, he only lasted three and two-third innings before Brandon Agar (University of North Georgia) came on in relief. Agar pitched the last five and one-third innings to earn the win. He struck out eight batters and only walked one.
Tyler Fletcher (College of Charleston) provided the Red Wings with a strong start but ended up suffering the loss. He pitched six and one-third innings and struck out nine batters. Three of his six earned runs came in to score after he had left the mound.
“I was working the fastball in and out and the changeup. I threw them pretty well and kept them off balance a little bit,” Fletcher said following the game. “I mixed up speeds and hit my spots.”
Ramon Osuna Sanchez (College of Charleston) put the Outlaws on the board with an RBI triple in the bottom of the first. He later scored on a Matt Bolger (University of South Alabama) RBI single.
Cameron Coons (Alvernia University) knocked his second base hit of the night for Geneva in the top of the fourth with an RBI double.
Chris Burns (Alvernia University) tied the game an inning later with a bullet line drive ripped to left field for an RBI double.
The game remained tied at two until Oneonta managed to score five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Osuna Sanchez hit a fly ball into center field which deflected off the glove of a diving Mark Huddle (John Carroll University) to give the Outlaws a 3-2 lead. Bolger was then hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to add another run. Jimmy Hand (Northeastern) continued his recent hot streak and broke the game open with a two-run double to make it a 6-2 ballgame. Carson Waln (Wofford College) capped the inning off with an RBI groundout to push the fifth run of the inning across the plate.
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“I’ve just been trying to hit the ball and not do too much,” Osuna Sanchez said.
Oneonta picked up right where they left off and scored four times in the bottom of the eighth. Taylor Jones (University of North Georgia) drilled an RBI triple to right field before scoring on a Dan Fickas (University of South Carolina-Upstate) RBI single. Bolger drove in his third run of the game with an RBI single. Hand capped off a strong performance with an RBI single—his second hit and third RBI of the game.
“It seemed like everybody was on base tonight, and we kept hitting,” Bolger said. “They’re a good team, and I am sure that we are going to see them in the playoffs.”
John Cruz (Dowling College) hit a two-run single for the Red Wings in the top of the ninth inning with two outs. Burns had two doubles for Geneva.
Osuna Sanchez led both teams with three hits in the game. Jones, Fickas, Bolger, and Hand all had two for the Outlaws.
The night after watching his team drop a 7-1 game against the Red Wings, Oneonta coach, Joe Hughes was pleased to see his team come back strong the next day.
“We’re back on their heels and a half game out. It is going to be a battle for the next eight games, and we hope to play great baseball and have nights like this.”
Geneva coach, George Schaefer praised two of his team’s top performers from the game.
“Tyler Fletcher threw the ball really well, and Cam Coons had some really good at bats.”
Oneonta (23-15) hosts the third place Sherrill Silversmiths (20-17) Saturday at Damaschke Field. Geneva (23-14) returns home to host the Cortland Crush (13-26).
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