By CODY LOVE
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Syracuse Salt Cats worked well with a doubling of home-field advantage on Wednesday.
Lucas Tevlin (Binghamton) knocked home three runs in game two as the Salt Cats swept a doubleheader from the Cortland Crush by identical scores of 5-2 in New York Collegiate Baseball League Action at Onondaga Stadium, Wednesday.
Tevlin’s three RBI came in two separate at-bats. He singled and brought home a run in the bottom of the third, and doubled home two in the seventh.
The summer league rookie from Toronto has been hitting the ball well, and is enjoying the challenging schedule.
“I’m loving it, baseball almost everyday,” Tevlin said. “If I could play baseball 24/7 I’d be a happy guy.”
He also finds he’s fitting right in on the team setting the pace in the NYCBL’s Eastern Division through this early stage of the season.
“I’ve got a bunch of great teammates, and we’re all gelling very quickly.”
Cory Vogeli (Misericordia) got the start for Syracuse in game two, and allowed only one run (on a wild pitch in the top of the second) through six innings of work. He struck out five, and retired ten batters in a row at one point. The Salt Cats pulled him after six only to keep him fresh in this early stage in the season.
“He can run nine innings, he’s a bulldog,” Syracuse manager Mike Martinez said, “He was up, throwing strong, and came out strong. He’ll be real fresh next time out.”
After Vogeli left the game for Syracuse with a 3-1 lead, the Crush only managed one run in the top of the seventh, despite loading the bases.
Jose “Manny” Colon (Rutgers-Camden), Cameron Dias (Rutgers-Newark), Julian Bilodeau (Palm Beach Atlantic), and Brandon Cornelius (Rutgers-Camden) all plated runs in the first game for Syracuse.
Grant Hoover (Shippensburg) collected three hits in the contest for Cortland.
The rainy weather on Tuesday led to a postponement of the game scheduled that day between Syracuse and Cortland at Beaudry Park.
With the teams heading to Syracuse for a rematch on Wednesday, they agreed to hold Cortland’s “home game” there as well as part of a doubleheader.
Syracuse became the home team in game two, and the teams changed into appropriate jerseys in the short down time.
Cortland manager Bill McConnell wasn’t pleased to see his team drop consecutive 5-2 decisions, and refused to let the field-shuffling serve as an excuse.
“No excuses for playing at OCC,” McConnell said. “We had a home game, we lost. We had an away game, we lost.”
Despite the Crush’s slow start to the season, McConnell feels his team has the talent to contend down the wire.
“We have the talent, and now its just working a little harder and focusing and putting it all together.”
Although starter Shae Edmonds (Howard Payne) was charged with the loss, McConnell considered his pitching performance a bright spot.
“(He) worked the pitching count well (and) did a great job,” McConnell said.
The starters were also given decisions in game one, with Charles “Chase” Davis (Northwestern College) earned the win for Syracuse. Davis struck out four.
TJ Peterson (State Coll. of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota) took the loss.
Matthew Colon (Cumberland County) struck out one as he picked up the save.
Kyle Taylor (Gloucester County) got the save for Syracuse in game two.
Syracuse’s Brandon Cornelius (Rutgers-Camden) had three total hits and an RBI on the day.
In addition to Tevlin, Syracuse’s Tim Hunter (Tyler Junior College), and Cortland’s Luke Gilbert (SUNY Brockport) also had two hits apiece in the second game.
The Salt Cats (6-2) and Crush (1-6) play each other once again on Thursday at Beaudry Park in Cortland. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00pm.
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