By CAMERON BOON
WEBSTER, N.Y. — Caleb Lang (Cairn) started hot at Basket Road Field and stayed hot, finishing with a season-high four RBI in a 8-3 Niagara Power victory over the Rochester Ridgemen in New York Collegiate Baseball League action Wednesday night.
“I’m just trying to put good swings on the ball,” Lang said.
He definitely did that, lacing a two-run triple to the fence in left center in the third inning and sending a two-run double down the left field line. Both gave the Power three run leads at that point.
It was not just Lang who hit the ball for Niagara tonight. All but two batters put together hits as the Power racked up 14 on the Ridgemen pitching staff. Niagara also led off the inning with a base hit in all but one frame.
“When we get the leadoff guy on, it gives us a lot of different options,” Niagara head coach Josh Rebandt said. “Getting that leadoff guy on puts so much pressure on the pitcher because he doesn’t want to walk guys.”
Rochester’s starter, Josh Flanders (Crown), did not walk anybody. But he did allow six runs on 12 hits in his six innings of work.
Initially, Flanders had a lead to work with as the Ridgemen grabbed the early advantage in the first inning. Devan O’Bryan (St. Louis CC Meramec) led the frame with a single off Niagara starter AJ Bruner (Trinity International) and scored on Tage Johnson’s (Houghton) fielder’s choice.
O’Bryan, who went 2-for-4, and Drew Farmer (Western Michigan), who went 3-for-4, were the only Ridgemen to record multi-hit games as Rochester collected eight on the night.
Bruner lasted eight innings, allowing three runs on seven hits earning his third win of the season.
Niagara took the lead in the third inning on the Lang triple that scored Gabriel Sevigny (Olivet Nazarene) and Jordan Hayes (Olivet Nazarene). Lang then came home on a Jessep Polk (North Greenville) sacrifice fly, and the Power had the advantage they would not relinquish.
Rochester cut the lead to one in the bottom when Tim Gurnow (Southwest Baptist) grounded into a fielder’s choice, scoring Farmer after he had led off the inning with a single.
The Ridgemen then had a golden opportunity to at least tie the game in the next inning as O’Bryan and Alex Stack (U of Dallas) stood on second and third with one out. Farmer recorded his only out of the game, and then Johnson grounded out to short, deflating the rally.
To add insult to injury, the Power recorded four runs in the next inning to put the nails in the coffin. Two of those runs came off the bat of Lang and his double down the left field line.
“The top of the lineup is doing a great job of getting on, and that makes my job easier,” Lang said.
The two batters in front of him, Mason Irby (Jones County JC) and Sevigny, reached a combined five times in 11 trips. Sevigny was plated twice.
Another good pitching performance has Niagara at 20-8 and a half game up in the Western Division. After barely making the playoffs in 2014, this is a massive improvement for Rebandt’s squad, and it is no question where the improvement is made.
“Our starting pitching is getting us deep into games and getting outs at the right time,” Lang said.
Lang leads the NYCBL in doubles (12), triples (5), runs scored (25) and is second in RBI (23).
According to Rebandt, 22 of the 27 starts have been quality starts, leading to a winning combination on the hill.
“Our pitchers give us a chance to win,” Rebandt said.
Rochester is chasing the playoffs right now, sitting at 13-18 and three games out of the postseason if it started today.
It’s one vs. two in the Western Division tomorrow, as the Power head to Hornell to take on the Dodgers at Maple City Park. Game one of the scheduled doubleheader is slated for 5:00 p.m.
The Ridgemen also have a twinbill tomorrow, heading to Geneva for a critical pair of games with the Twins. The first pitch from the Big Mac is also scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
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