By CODY LOVE
ONEONTA, N.Y. — It has been almost all good news for the Salt Cats at the plate lately.
Both the top and bottom of the order contributed as the Syracuse Salt Cats powered past the Oneonta Outlaws 12-7 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Damaschke Field on Sunday.
Syracuse was scoreless through four and trailed Oneonta 1-0, but jumped on Outlaws starter Michael Bunal (Binghamton) in the fifth.
Bunal struck out the first two batters in the inning, but then Evan Holland (Florida International) doubled.
He was knocked in as the tying run by Tim Hunter (Tyler JC) in the next at-bat on a bloop single to left field.
A single and two walks later, Jose “Manny” Colon (Rutgers-Camden) came up with the bases loaded.
He hit a 2-RBI line drive single to center, giving the Salt Cats a lead they would never relinquish and bringing an end to the day for Bunal, who was charged with the loss.
The offense wouldn’t end there for Syracuse in the fifth though.
After another walk loaded the bases, pinch hitter Cameron Dias (Rutgers-Newark) picked up an RBI on the fourth walk of the inning.
Dias added another RBI on a single in the eighth. It was his second game back after missing six games due to injury.
The Salt Cats scored runs in every inning the rest of the way, putting another four on the board in the eighth in response to a three-run seventh by the Outlaws.
That inning was notable for contributions from the bottom of the order, as number eight hitter Chris McGee (Binghamton) knocked in a run on a groundout to second base, and number nine hitter Johnny Knight IV (Walsh) knocked in two on a line drive single to right field.
Knight and McGee were both productive after coming in as pinch hitters, with Knight going 2-for-4 and McGee adding a second RBI on a sacrifice fly to right field in the ninth.
Salt Cats manager Mike Martinez is not surprised to see good offensive play spreading through his lineup.
“Hitting is contagious,” Martinez said. “We’re being selective, we’re hitting pitches that are hittable, and hitting them in gaps.”
The Salt Cats outpaced their opponents by a score of 30-10 over the weekend.
Salt Cats starter Sean Pisik (Ursinus) got the win after going six innings, allowing one earned run, six hits, and one walk.
The Outlaws biggest inning came after he departed in the seventh.
Trailing 7-2, they loaded the bases with two outs, and Zack Blonder (Maryville) hit a slow grounder up the middle that allowed all runners to advance safely.
Jordan Bradley (Wofford) then lined a single to right field, scoring two runs and narrowing the deficit to two.
The Outlaws, however, would never get that close again as the Salt Cats pulled away.
Bradley, Blonder, and Trevor Putzig (Tennessee Tech) each recorded two hits and two RBI on the day.
Brian Bilello (Concordia) went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a walk.
Holland collected ten hits over the weekend, and in the seventh he blasted a deep ball to the wall in center field for an RBI triple, his third three-bagger in as many games.
“I’m just looking for good pitches and trying to be aggressive,” Holland said. “Thankfully they’re all falling in the right places for me.”
The Salt Cats (18-10) and the Outlaws (11-13) travel back to Syracuse for the second game in this four-game series on Monday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 at Onondaga Community College.
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