By JAKE DENNSTEDT
GENEVA, N.Y. – As the saying goes, it’s never easy to win a doubleheader. On a beautiful sun drenched afternoon, the Cortland Crush, though, just completed their second sweep in the past three days.
The visiting Crush (17-2) took both ends of a New York Collegiate Baseball League double header (4-3/6-4) from the hometown Geneva Red Wings (15-11).
After both teams would go in order in the first inning. Crush first-baseman Zephan Kash (Mansfield University) sent a line drive on the very first pitch he saw over the right-field fence to lead off the top half of the second inning giving the visors an early 1-0 lead.
The home run was the left-hander’s, league leading fourth of summer.
After a pair of one-out singles, Crush catcher George Haaland (Trinity Univeristy) hit what looked to be a sure double play ball to Harry Roberson (Amherst College) only to see it bound over the shortstop’s head into the outfield.
Yale Hughes (West Liberty University) reached on a fielder’s choice to score the second run of the inning, before being thrown trying to steal second to end the frame.
Finding themselves in a 2-0 deficit, the Red Wings threatened in the bottom half of the third. Following a pair of fly outs. Zach Wingate (Birmingham Southern College) rocketed a two-out double past the diving Kash into the right-field corner.
Crush starting pitcher Cody Barnes (Le Moyne College) ended any threats tying up the next batter on inside fastball.
Barnes’s day would be finished after three innings of shut out ball.
Kash stepped to the plate again to lead off the top half of fourth and ended up working the count full and eventually drawing a base on balls. He came around to score the third run on a one-out line drive single to right field by Sean Getman (SUNY Cortland).
Hughes beat out bases loaded double-play ball to push the Crush lead to 4-0.
When asked about his club’s approach, Crush manager Bill McConnell was quick to note his team’s consistency.
“The coaching staff has been preaching since day one to have a professional mindset at the ballpark,” said McConnell.
The red hot Kash led off the top of sixth with a double to deep right center. Following a ground out, a wild pitch advanced Kash to third.
Shortstop Matt Alberino (Northland) stepped to the plate looking to advance a little insurance. In what seemed to be an eternity, Alberino worked his count full. In the process fouling off six pitches before lifting a shallow fly ball on the 12th pitch off his at-bat to centerfield.
Kash trying to score on the play was gunned down at the plate.
Following two scoreless frames from reliever Matt Yonta (Union), Ryan Smith (Hudson Valley CC) would come on to pitch the bottom half of the sixth inning for the visiting Crush.
After a ground out to start the bottom of the sixth, Tanner Ivey (Alabama A&M) laced the first pitch he saw to right field. Following a foul fly out for the second out of the inning, Ivey stole second base.
With Ivey going on the pitch, Matt Eastman (St. Bonaventure) sent a line drive into left center cutting the deficit to 4-1. The next batter reached on a hit by pitch. Following a balk, AJ Compton (Elmhurst) slapped a ground ball up the middle, which appeared to be headed toward centerfield until Crush second basemen Wesley Burghardt (The College at Brockport) snatched the ball. Unable to get up fast enough to get the speedy Compton. Burghardt decided to throw to third base to catch the trail runner. The throw sailed over the third basemen’s head off the fence next to the Crush’s dugout allowing both runs to score.
Smith struck out the next batter to end the Red Wings rally, keeping things at 4-3 in favor of the visitors. That would be as close as the Red Wings would get dropping game one by that same score.
Geneva Red Wings manager Ryan Kassab didn’t seem too pleased about his team’s energy.
When asked about it, Kassab stated, “We kind of came out flat again and it’s hard to win a ball game doing that.
“Guys seemed kind of complacent about how things were going. We’ve been on the guys a lot lately but it’s up to them to answer the challenge.”
In hopes to salvage a split, the Red Wings seemed up for the challenge early, matching the zeroes over the first three frames
As in game one the Crush would strike after loading up the bases, Hank Pelicotti (Binghamton University) would lift a double into deep right center to clear the bases.
The last of the runs scored by Gilbert just beating the tag at the plate, staking the Crush to a 3-0 advantage.
Crush ace TJ Peterson (State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota) seemed to have his good stuff and was in cruise control early on, perfect the first time through the lineup.
Down three runs stepping to the plate, Red Wings leadoff hitter Jackson Rhodes (Birmingham Southern Coll) ended any thoughts of the no-hitter sending a high fly ball out to right field that left the friendly confines of McDonough Park the instant it was hit.
When asked if he knew he was perfect, Peterson calmly stated, “Absolutely, I knew that I hadn’t allowed a runner up until that point of the game.”
Peterson quickly settled back in and retired the next nine he would face as the offense added on three more runs over the next few innings.
When talking about his mindset, Peterson definitely sounded like a man with a plan.
“I’m just trying to get ahead of every hitter, work quick and attack the zone.”
Something he seemed to do with relative ease on this afternoon.
Carrying a 6-1 lead into the last half of the seventh the Crush would send out Peterson to try and finish it off.
The Red Wings chased Peterson in the seventh when Harry Roberson (Amherst) doubled into the left field corner, and Wingate followed with an O-2 RBI single.
The Crush reliever retired the next two batters, before allowing a towering fly ball Mason Schoettelin (Lawson State CC) to left center that just keep carrying as it cleared the wall pulling the Red Wings to within 6-4.
“It’s a long season,” said Kassab. “We just need to be able to bounce back and bring some more energy from the start, guys need to be ready to go.
“Boardman Adams (Howard Payne U) is guy whose been waiting to get back on the mound for us. He was able to bring a little bit of energy for us hear in the top half of the seventh inning. Hopefully we can’t get some others guys feeding off that.”
Both teams will return to action tomorrow afternoon at Beaudry Park in Cortland for the final two games of their season series.
First pitch of the double header is slated for 5 p.m.
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