By CODY LOVE
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — After losing to the Salt Cats on Sunday at home, the Crush struck back on the road.
TJ Peterson (SCF Manatee-Sarasota) pitched a complete game gem as the Cortland Crush beat the Syracuse Salt Cats 4-1 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Onondaga Community College, Monday night.
Peterson dropped his first two starts to begin the season, but has now won the next three in a row.
Monday was his best performance of the three as he struck out six while allowing six hits, a walk, and no earned runs.
He also enacted revenge for his previous start against the Salt Cats in which he allowed four runs in just three innings of work.
This time out, everything was working for Peterson on the mound.
“I was getting ahead of the batters, mixing up my pitches,” Peterson said. “That’s what made me succeed today.”
Crush manager Bill McConnell did not intend to have his starter go so long, but decided to keep him in based on effectiveness and a low pitch count going into the late innings.
“In the seventh inning he only had 67 pitches in there,” McConnell said. “We were ready with Matt Yonta (Union) in the bullpen…but his location and efficiency was fairly good.”
After a 1-2-3 eighth inning and with no action in the bullpen, it was clear he was looking to Peterson to finish the game
“After the eighth I was only at about 85 pitches,” Peterson said. “So I went out for the ninth.”
Peterson also had the advantage of working with a lead the whole way.
Cortland got right to work against Syracuse starter James McCarty (SUNY Oneonta) in the top of the first, with Wesley Burghardt (SUNY Brockport) bringing Grant Hoover home on an RBI single.
The Crush struck again in the second inning. After Luke Gilbert (SUNY Brockport) advanced from first to third on a passed ball, Terrell Barringer (Lincoln) drove him home on a groundout.
Syracuse’s only run of the day came in the bottom half of the inning.
Adam Thoryk (Alma College) laid down a bunt with Chris McGee (Binghamton) on first and Julian Bilodeau (Palm Beach Atlantic College) on second.
Crush catcher Alex Loberger (Northland College) slipped while throwing to first and the ball got away, allowing Bilodeau to score from second.
Syracuse then attempted a double steal, but the lead runner McGee was put out at third for the first out. Peterson induced two flyouts to end the inning.
Peterson then clamped down the rest of the way, with Syracuse only advancing one other runner past first base.
“It’s the best pitching performance I’ve seen this year,” Salt Cats manager Mike Martinez said, tipping his hat to the opposing lefty.
The Crush added a run in the sixth when Zephan Kash (Mansfield) scored on a wild pitch, and put another on the board in the seventh when Kash hit an RBI single scoring Hank Pellicciotti (Binghamton).
Kash went 4-for-4 (all singles) and also added a run.
The Salt Cats had three errors on the day, and only two of Cortland’s four runs were earned.
McCarty picked up the loss after pitching five and two thirds innings. He allowed three runs (two of which were earned), struck out three, and walked four.
Burghardt went 2-for-5 with an RBI.
Thoryk had the only multi-hit day for Syracuse, going 2-for-3.
The Salt Cats (14-9) and Crush (12-12) have now split the first two games in this three-game series. They meet for the rubber match on Tuesday evening at Beaudry Park in Cortland. The game is scheduled for 6:00.
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