GENEVA, N.Y. — Bob Barnett (Widener) connected on a leadoff home run in the sixth inning as the Geneva Twins rallied for a doubleheader split (3-0/4-3) with the Rochester Ridgemen in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at McDonough Park, Wednesday.
Barnett’s blast, his first of the season, snapped a 3-3 tie and gave the Twins their third win in four games.
“That was good to be able to get that,” Geneva manage Andy Weeks said.
Geneva took a 3-1 lead into the sixth before the Ridgemen knotted the game.
Drew Farmer (Western Michigan) scored on an Aaron Vallance (Wayland Baptist) ground out. Shane Soria (Westmont) delivered with a two-out single to score Armando Valentin (Benedict) and knot the game at three.
Joshua Handzik (St. Joseph’s) spotted the Twins to a one-run lead in the fourth with a solo shot of his own.
Geneva’s top or the order produced two runs in the fifth.
Leadoff man, Nate Roethel (St. John Fisher) started the stanza with a base hit. Kenny Reckart (Wooster) reached on an error. After a balk, Luke Waldek (Minnesota State Comm. & Tech. Coll) brought home Roethel with a sacrifice fly. One out later, Andy Lalonde (St. Bonaventure) doubled home Reckart for a 3-2 Geneva advantage.
The top three in Geneva’s lineup combined for five hits in eight at bats with two walks and two runs scored.
“They did a great job getting on base early,” Weeks stated. “I was happy. We were able to get guys on and stay competitive.”
Kyle Monk (Emory) tossed 1.2 innings out the bullpen for his first win of the season. The right-hander allowed three hits.
“They put the ball in play off him,” Weeks said. “He’s battled. He takes advantage of his opportunities. He’s been doing pretty well. When we get another opportunity, he’ll be right back out there.”
Cameron Carney (Tusculum) tossed seven shutout innings for the victory in the opener. Carney struck out three, walked two and surrendered two hits for the complete-game effort. He allowed just two runners to reach scoring position. The Niagara Falls, N.Y. worked ahead of 16 of the 25 batters faced.
“He was able to throw more strikes,” Weeks noted. “We were hitting the ball hard off him. They made really good plays behind him.”
Rochester put together back-to-back two-out hits in the fifth to score all the runs needed for the win.
Ryan O’Hearn (Hillsdale) knocked a one-out single. After Vallance reached base, Colin Winn (Santa Anna) delivered a two-out single scoring O’Hearn. Cole Metcalfe (Bellarmine) scored two more with a double.
Metcalfe finished with five hits and two RBI on the day. Winn collected three hits and scored two runs.
Reckart and Roethel both had two hits.
Geneva (8-7) travels to Niagara for a doubleheader with the Power. A 5 p.m. first pitch is scheduled.
Rochester (5-8) heads to Olean for a meeting with the Oilers.
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