By ANTHONY SAMBROTTO
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — From four double plays to 24 hits to a seven-run comeback, this game had it all.
In a contest that featured two of the league’s top teams, the Genesee Rapids beat the Niagara Power 11-8 in 11 innings in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Sal Maglie Stadium Wednesday night.
The Power’s offense picked up right where it left off Tuesday night by scoring seven runs in the bottom of the first inning. Damon DeJesus(Franklin College) and Jessep Polk (North Greenville University) each drove in two runs in the inning and the Rapids were only able to escape further damage due to a baserunning mistake from the Power.
However, the Rapids were not about to throw in the towel.
Chipping away at the lead, they scored three in the second, two in the fourth and three in the fifth to take an 8-7 lead. Pacing the comeback were shortstop Nick Ippolito (California State Stanislaus University) and right-fielder William Lucas (Akron). The duo combined to drive in five runs.
While the team was battling back at the plate, starting pitcher Nick Watkins (Defiance College) looked to redeem himself. After allowing that big first inning, he threw six shutout innings and only allowed four hits over that span. He was in line for the win when he handed things over to the bullpen for the eighth inning.
“He just settled down,” Rapids’ manager Tyler Rost said. “I gave him a short leash for the second and third innings but he went out there and was able to locate the ball and kept us in it.”
The Power were able to find their bats again in the eighth inning against Genesee’s bullpen. After a stolen base by Bryan Klendworth (Olivet Nazarene University) to move into scoring position, Conner Combs (East Texas Baptist University) came through with an RBI double to even the score at 8-8
The game moved into extras after both teams had chances in the ninth inning to go home early.
After a scoreless 10th, Genesee hammered home three runs in the 11th off Power closer Nick Campe (Olivet Nazarene University). Campe had previously not given up a run in 10 innings of relief work.
The game-winning run came on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jonathan Nola (Walsh University) to score Brandon Dupuis (Rochester College). The biggest splash of the inning came a few batters later, though.
With a runner on first, pinch-hitter Dan Crozier (Cazenovia College) hit a laser over the right field fence to tack on two insurance runs and make the score 11-8, Nitros.
Pitching the final three innings plus for the Rapids and getting the win was Breton LaRose (Sacred Heart University). He is 2-0 on the year with 10.2 innings pitched and a 0.00 ERA.
For the Power, this is a tough game to absorb, especially against a team they are battling with in the standings. Dallas Deavers (North Georgia College & St. U.) started the game and was on the bump for the entirety of the Rapids’ comeback. He was taken out with two outs in the fourth, but not before giving up eight runs on seven hits and four walks.
Free passes were an issue all night for the Power, walking nine Genesee batters.
“We didn’t throw strikes like we usually do, and it cost us tonight, especially against a good hitting team,” said Power manager Josh Rebandt.
“He commanded his pitches better,” Rebandt said of Watkins’ second and third times facing the Power batters. ” In the first inning he was leaving the ball up and our guys were getting good swings on it, but he started pitching to both sides of the plate, and he was throwing strikes at the bottom of the knees which made him a lot more successful.”
A big thorn in the side of the Power all night was Ippolito. In addition to driving in three runs, he made two stellar defensive plays in the later innings and went 4-for-7 at the plate to increase his hitting streak to 17 games.
“I felt good up there tonight,” Ippolito said. “I was just seeing the ball well and was happy to help my team battle back and get a big win.”
The Rapids have now won three straight and sit a half game back of the Power in the Western Division. The two teams go at it again tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at Sal Maglie Stadium.
“Our guys showed a lot of character today by battling, ” Rost said. “All we did was put runs up every inning through big hits just chipping away and we kept putting those runs up when we needed to.”
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