By PAUL GOTHAM
CORTLAND, N.Y. – The New York Collegiate Baseball League season began little more than a week ago, and it appears the Syracuse Jr. Chiefs have settled into roles.
Shane Trevino (IPFW) paced a 18-hit attack, and Chris Pennell (St. Thomas Aquinas) came out of the bullpen and notched his third save of the season as the Jr. Chiefs defeated the Cortland Crush 11-8 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Beaudry Park, Sunday.
Trevino sparked a five-run fourth with a leadoff double as the Jr. Chiefs batted around.
“They called a strike on the outside corner, so they went a little further out,” the left-handed batter said. “I figured they’d come back inside, so I just tried pulling my hands inside and driving it to right field.”
Malik Fogg (Tompkins-Cortland CC) put runners on the corners with an infield single, and Brian Colbert brought home the first Syracuse run of the day with a base hit which bounded over the head of the third baseman.
“I think the story of our season so far is we haven’t been scoring runs up to our capabilities,” Syracuse manager Matt Colbert said. “Today was really the first time we did that. Our guys have done a really good job. We’re starting to hit the ball.”
Michael Elfreth (Widener) moved the runners with a sacrifice bunt and a pair of passed balls scored two more.
Christian Vargas (Salve Regina) tripled before Michael Blatchford (Ohio Wesleyan) and Justin Healey (Widener) plated runs for a 5-2 Syracuse lead.
Blatchford, Healey and Trevino combined as the top four in the Jr. Chiefs order delivered 10 hits.
“Those guys are at the top of the order for a reason,” Colbert said. “You need production out of the top of the order, and that’s what we got today.”
In particular, Trevino who was awarded a three and O green light later in the game.
“Shane’s approach today was awesome,” Colbert stated. “He’s seeing the ball really well. That’s just how hot he is right now.”
The Hudsonville, Michigan native responded with a one-out RBI double.
“I like it,” Trevino said of his coach’s trust. “I gotta stay within myself. I got an inside pitch, so I kept my hands inside and drove it to right. It felt good.”
Trevino brought home Healey on the play as Syracuse tacked on four more in the eighth.
“He squared the ball up pretty well all day, so I said I’m going to let him go,” Colbert explained. “I got to give him a lot of credit for being able to pull the trigger. There are a lot of guys who are scared to pull the trigger in that situation. He’s a confident kid. Seeing how he did with a 3-0 count there, I probably won’t be too nervous to give it to him again.”
But Cortland didn’t go gently into the good night.
The Crush trotted ten to the plate in the home half and had the tying run at the dish.
“The team learned a lot about themselves, Cortland manager Bill McConnell said. “You just can’t get behind. We brought the spirit up. We put some hits together.”
Matthew Alberino (Northland) doubled home a run. Y.B. Hughes (West Liberty) sent a flare into center scoring two, and Jose Arebalo (Eastern Nazarene) made it a 10-8 game with an RBI double into left center. For Arebalo it was his sixth hit in nine at bats over the weekend.
“He’s a quiet leader,” McConnell said of the Cortland outfielder. “He has a nice swing. He comes through the hitting zone in plane with the ball. He doesn’t try and do anything with it. He meets it square. He barreled up to left center.”
Christopher Pennell (St. Thomas Aquinas) retired the side in order in the ninth as the Jr. Chiefs improved to 4-2 on the season and moved into a three-way tie atop the Eastern Division with Oneonta and cross-town rival the Syracuse Salt Cats.
“He’s shown early in the season that he’s our guy,” Colbert said of his closer. “He’s comfortable there. He looks very confident in that situation. He’s pitching really well for us. We shouldn’t have put him there in that position for a save, but we were there, and we felt comfortable going to him.”
Pennell has figured in all of the Jr. Chiefs’ wins thus far. In four appearances, the right-hander is 1-0 with three saves. He has fanned five in 7.1 innings of work. Sunday he induced a pair of lazy fly balls and ended the game on a punch out.
“Just go in there and throw strikes,” Pennell said of his approach. “When you put people on base by walking that’s when trouble starts. Throw strikes. I had all the confidence in my fielders. I went out there and pumped the zone. If I’m ahead in the count I like to throw my off speed a bit, but I really like to throw my fastball.
Healey collected three hits in four trips. He drove in a game-high three runs and scored two more as Syracuse rallied from Friday’s loss to take the final two in the three-game set at Beaudry Park.
“We showed a lot of heart and came back and took this series,” Healey said.
His RBI double in the eighth proved the game-winner, and he added an insurance run in the ninth with a single.
“I was just trying to have a simple approach,” Healey said of his at bat in the eighth. Just battled to a three and two count and he hung me a breaking ball there. I just drove it.”
Syracuse hosts Sherrill, Monday night. A 7 pm first pitch is scheduled at Onondaga Community College.
Cortland travels to Oneonta to play the Outlaws. A 7 pm first pitch is scheduled at Damaschke Field.
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