By PAUL GOTHAM
GENEVA, N.Y. — Matt Mastroianni (SUNY Oneonta) lifted a fly ball into left field. His teammate, Tyler Hunter (Tyler JC), scampered home from third pushing the Syracuse Salt Cats’ lead to 3-0. The score book read SF – sacrifice fly.
Hardly an accurate representation of the effort.
The at-bat, which occurred in the fifth inning of Friday night’s New York Collegiate Baseball League game, was part self-preservation, part redemption and if Salt Cats manager, Mike Martinez has his way, part prediction.
Mastroianni fell behind early o-and-2. He looked destined for a repeat of his first trip to the plate – a punch out leading off the game.
Then it happened.
The next pitch, off the plate, missed the strike zone. The Somers, N.Y. native fouled off the following and the pitch after that.
“He struck me out earlier in the game,” Mastroianni said. “So I was just trying to get my foot down early and put something in play.”
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The Salt Cat second baseman fouled off three more pitches before he lifted the 11th offering, a high fastball, over a drawn infield.
“Looked for a pitch high up in the strike zone since the infield was in and put something in the outfield,” Mastroianni explained.
It proved to be the difference in a 3-2 Salt Cats victory over the Geneva Red Wings. Martinez hopes the Salt Cats follow the lead of his second-year player.
“Some of the younger guys, they really could pay attention to what he’s he doing and hopefully they can pick up a few pointers from him,” Martinez said. “He’s a solid veteran college baseball player. He knows how to play.
“If we tell him to take a good look at it and hit one that’s hittable, he’ll look at me and say ‘I know.’ And you know what? He does.”
For better or worse the result of Friday’s contest was a familiar one for Martinez and the Salt Cats.
The win, their tenth, gave the Cats a two-game cushion at the top of the NYCBL’s Eastern Division. The three runs marked the sixth time in 14 games Syracuse scored three or less. Their 3.7 runs per game puts Syracuse near the bottom of the league.
Don’t tell Martinez that defense wins championship. The veteran coach is well aware offense wins games.
“If we hit the way we pitch, we’d be very tough, and we’re in first place,” Martinez said. “Understand the count. Go after a pitch that you read and be aggressive and hit balls that are hittable.
Friday’s winning run was manufactured. Hunter led the frame with a walk. Adam Thoryk (Alma College) moved the runner with a ground ball. A passed ball later and Mastroianni delivered.
“The long and short of the story is the guys got to be a little bit more cognizant of hittable pitches and when to hit those pitches.”
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