By Cameron Boon
WEBSTER, N.Y. — With only a half game lead for the fourth and final playoff spot, and in 2-2 deadlock with the Rochester Ridgemen after six innings, the Niagara Power knew the pressure was on.
“The playoffs have motivated them all year,” Niagara manager Josh Rebandt said.
What happened next was an enslaught, as the Power put up eight runs in the ensuing two innings and defeated the Ridgemen 10-3 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action Thursday night at Basket Road Field.
“This takes the pressure off,” Rebandt said. “We know three tries to get one.”
With the Genesee Rapids losing, Niagara now has a 1.5 game lead over the Rapids with three games to play.
Josh Schulman (Rochester) was ironman tonight, throwing 140 pitches in seven innings, as he allowed two runs on six hits while striking out three.
“It ultimately came down to my defense doing excellent behind me, especially when I missed some pitches over the plate,” Schulman said.
The Power defense played errorless ball for the first time since July 13th.
The Ridgemen on the other hand, did not play great defense as they committed three errors, two in the eighth, en route to the loss that broke their four-game winning streak.
“When you don’t play great defense and run into a good pitcher, it’s going to make for a long night,” Rochester manager Brady James said.
Rochester scored first for the second straight night, as they put up a run in the bottom of the first. Nick Wolyniec (Bergen CC) was the provider, driving in Andy Santana (Geneva) from second with an RBI single to center to make it 1-0 Rochester.
Niagara answered with two in unconventional fashion, with neither run being driven in. Michael Crowley (Huntington) led off the third with a deep triple to third, and then scored off a wild pitch. The Power then took the lead when Gabriel Sevigny (Olivet Nazarene) scored off a throwing error by Matt Emge (Pittsburgh) trying to throw a runner out at second, giving Niagara a 2-1 lead.
Case Smith (Baylor), who finished two-for-three which doubled his hit total on the season, drove in Will Bass (New Mexico JC) with an RBI single to tie the game.
Schulman was able to keep the bats quiet for the rest of his outing, lowering his ERA 25 points.
“If there’s anybody that can handle it, it’s Josh,” Rebandt said.
The floodgates creaked open in the seventh, as Niagara grabbed two runs. Sevigny scored on an RBI double by Jarett James (Ball State) down the left field line to make it 3-2 Power. It was then made 4-2 when James went to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a RBI groundout by Ivan Acuna (Catawba Valley CC).
The floodgates then burst open in the eighth, when the Power put together a six-run inning, getting three hits and taking advantage of two Rochester errors. Three runners scored during Acuna’s at bat.
Sevigny scored on a wild pitch, and then Jack Trotman (UMass-Lowell) and James scored on a double by Acuna, and the lead ballooned to 9-2. Acuna then scored on a Caleb Lang (Philadelphia Biblical) single to make it double digit runs for the first time since June 6.
“Any time there’s pressure on a defense, that’s going to create more opportunities to score,” Rebandt said.
The Power cashed in on those opportunities very well, also putting up ten hits in the game.
The Ridgemen lose any chance of getting home field advantage with the loss, and will face the Geneva Twins in Game 1 of the NYCBL Western Division Semifinals on Sunday.
“This loss will humble us a little bit,” James said.
The season isn’t over yet for either of these teams though. They will face each other one more time Friday night at Sal Maglie Stadium at 7:00 p.m.
Niagara will then play a doubleheader on Saturday to close out their season against the Olean Oilers at Sal Maglie, with the first game slated for 4:00 p.m.
“The pressure’s off of us and it’ll be really nice when we get that win to have that monkey off our back,” Schulman said.
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