By Paul Gotham
GENEVA, N.Y. — The first six innings of Sunday’s Eastern Divisional Series game proved to be an exercise in frustration for the Syracuse Salt Cats. Eight runners left on base, another thrown out at the plate and their ace surrendering five runs added up to a four-run deficit going into the seventh.
Momentum quickly shifted.
Tom Nagy (Bentley) highlighted a three-run seventh, and the Salt Cats went on to defeat the Geneva Red Wings, 8-5 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at McDonough Park, Sunday.
Nagy plated a pair with a two-out double as Syracuse knocked around the Geneva bullpen.
“Nagy is a quality offensive player,” Salt Cats head coach Mike Martinez said. “He knows what to do. I have confidence in him. We let him go to swing free and it worked out well.”
Nagy took a 3-1 offering from Red Wing reliever Jason Meger (North Park) and doubled inside the left field line scoring Anthony Morino (Mt. Union) and Anthony Massicci (Canisius) with second and third of seven unanswered runs.
“He threw me a first pitch curve ball,” Nagy explained. “I was just looking for something hard. It’s his best pitch. I was looking for something in the zone that I could hit. I just wanted to get it out of the infield and get the guys in.”
Geneva led 5-4 after seven.
Syracuse knotted the score in the eighth and ran away with it in the ninth.
Nick DeRegis (Rhode Island) dropped a bunt on the first pitch of the eighth for a single. The Syracuse centerfielder stole second and third before scoring the tying run.
“I knew I needed to get on,” DeRegis noted. “I said ‘if that third baseman is back a little, I’m going to lay it down.’ Good thing it worked out.”
Julian Bilodeau (Franklin Pierce) delivered an opposite-field triple that bounced just inside the right field line and and carried into foul territory.
“You do what you got to do in the playoffs,” DeRegis continued. “When down one run, you got to get into scoring position. Luckily enough I was able to get on third, and Julian came through with the big hit.”
From there the Salt Cats put it in overdrive.
Cody LaBadia (Southern Vermont) walked to lead the ninth. Nagy reached when he was hit by a pitch, and pinch hitter Erik Poldroo (Concordia) singled through the right side of the infield. LaBadia rounded third. When the throw to the plate was up the line, Nagy took advantage and scampered home.
“We just executed today,” Martinez stated. “If we hit and play defense and pitch and put it all together, we win.”
DeRegis capped the inning with an RBI fielder’s choice for the 8-5 final score.
Cory Fox (Adrian) hurled a scoreless ninth for the save.
“I’ve always been taught to go after them with the fastball until somebody hits it,” Fox said. “As soon as I got out there my adrenaline started kicking in. I just felt good out there.”
But Geneva didn’t go quietly.
Ricky Gorrell (Kutztown) bunted for a single. After a fielder’s choice, Andrew Utterback (Alabama A&M) reached on an infield single. Fox fanned the next hitter before Julio Nunez (Alabama A&M) came to the plate representing the tying run.
“The scouting report says you got to challenge him with the fastball, but he can hit it,” Fox said of Nunez. “He’s a good hitter. He’s done a lot against us this year.”
Nunez narrowly missed a home run in the fourth when he knocked a Blaise Whitman (Rhode Island) fastball off the wall in the deepest part of the park in right center. The Red Wing slugger couldn’t provide an encore. He swung at missed at a 1-2 fastball.
“I wanted to beat him with my best,” Fox said. “I said ‘here’s my best.’ It worked out for me today.”
The win gives Syracuse 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series. The series shifts to the synthetic turf at Onondaga Community College.
“It’s huge,” Nagy said of the road win. “You get to go home. You don’t have to deal with the bus trip. We know our field a lot better. We’re a fast team. We have some good arms. We play better on turf. It’s called home-field advantage for a reason.”
Andrew Worth (Concordia) retired the side in order in the eighth for the win. The right-hander struck out one.
Brandon Bell (Mt. Union) and Evan Flanagan (Rhode Island) also tossed scoreless frames in relief for Syracuse.
Nunez connected on the first of three fourth-inning Red Wing doubles as Geneva grabbed a 3-1 lead. Brian Burns (Alvernia) doubled home Nunez and Clint Roche (Marietta) to give Geneva its first lead of the game. One out later, Cameron Coons (Alvernia) doubled to left center for the two-run lead.
Geneva added single runs in the fourth and fifth.
Mark Huddle (John Carroll) doubled down the right field line to start the fifth. After a stolen base, the Red Wing shortstop scored on John Cruz (Dowling) sacrifice fly.
Burns led the sixth with a solo shot to left center.
“He’s a good hitter,” Geneva head coach George Schaefer said of Burns. “He finds a way to get it done.”
Billy Whaley (Norwich) started and went six innings. The right-hander allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and five walks. He struck out three and left the game with a 5-1 lead.
“He has one of the top five ERAs in the league,” Schaefer said. “He proved it again tonight. He battles every night.”
Syracuse threatened in the sixth. Nagy walked to start the stanza. One out later, Matt Mastroianni (SUNY Oneonta) put runners on the corners with an infield base hit. Whaley put out the fire with an infield pop up and weak ground ball.
Dan McBryan (Oglethorpe) took the loss.
Alex Summers (Neumann) hurled a scoreless ninth for Geneva.
Syracuse grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first. Massicci, the league leader with eight triples during the regular season, slapped a two-out triple down the left field line which glanced off the glove of a diving Utterback. He crossed home when LaBadia reached on an error.
Nunez led all with three hits. Gorrell, Burns and Coons each collected a two hits. Burns drove in three.
Massicci and Nagy both chipped in two hits for the Cats. Massicci scored twice.
The two teams split the regular season series 4-4.
A 7 p.m. start is scheduled for Monday night.
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