By CODY LOVE
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Salt Cats put a rough weekend in Cortland squarely in the rear view mirror.
Back home in Syracuse the bats got right to work as the Salt Cats routed the Syracuse Jr. Chiefs 9-1 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Onondaga Community College, Wednesday night.
The majority of the runs came in one inning, as the Salt Cats put up a five spot in the bottom of the third.
Some interesting baserunning allowed the Salt Cats to pick up a run and help extend the inning.
The Salt Cats had already pushed a run across on a Brian Bilello (Concordia) RBI single to make it 2-0, leaving Lucas Tevlin (Binghamton) at third.
Bilello then attempted to steal second, with the idea of drawing a throw that would allow Tevlin to score.
When the throw came, Bilello turned it into a rundown, but Tevlin distracted the infielders long enough for Bilello to nearly make it back to the bag.
As the ball was thrown to first, Tevlin made a break for home, ultimately beating a throw and tag at the plate.
Bilello safely took second to continue the Salt Cats’ threat.
The remaining three runs in the inning came on an RBI double by Julian Bilodeau (Palm Beach Atlantic) and a 2-RBI single by Cameron Dias (Rutgers-Newark).
“My ankle finally felt better from when I rolled it,” Dias said. “I just worked into good hitter’s counts and hit my pitch.”
Dias’ hit spelled the end of the day for the Jr. Chiefs’ starter, Steven Theetge (Bryant) who was charged with the loss.
James McCarty (SUNY Oneonta) started the game for the Salt Cats and was the winning pitcher, leaving the game after five innings with an eight-run lead.
“I didn’t have my best stuff, but didn’t need to with the run support I had,” McCarty said. “It was good to have my defense behind my back.”
McCarty allowed one earned run on three hits and two walks, striking out four.
The most substantial hit of the day belonged to Tim Hunter (Tyler JC).
He ripped a 2-RBI triple in the bottom of the fifth and then came in to score on an RBI single by Matt Mastroianni (SUNY Oneonta).
“He kept grooving fastballs in and in,” Hunter said. “I finally just got a hold of one, and took it that way.”
Adam Thoryk (Alma) also picked up an RBI on a groundout in the second inning.
Evan Holland (Florida International) was 4-for-5 on the day and scored a run.
Tevlin hit a double and stole three bases.
Erik Johansen (SUNY Oneonta), Brian Gerner (Wesleyan), and Kyle Perez (SUNY Brockport) all combined for four innings of scoreless relief for the Salt Cats, allowing only one hit (charged to Gerner).
Michael Elfreth (Widener) led the hitting for the Jr. Chiefs, going 2-for-4 with a triple.
He also helped preserve the Jr. Chiefs’ bullpen by moving over to pitch in the eighth.
It was his first relief appearance this season, and he allowed no hits or walks and recorded a strikeout.
Samuel Ellinwood (Amherst) got the Jr. Chiefs on the board in the fifth with an RBI double.
The Salt Cats (28-16) and Jr. Chiefs (23-21) will meet again on Thursday night as this season-ending three-game series continues.
The Salt Cats will be the home team for the final time this regular season. They will look to clinch their first division title in team history.
The Jr. Chiefs still hold the final playoff spot in the Eastern Division (5 GB the Salt Cats), equidistant from third-place Oneonta (3.5 GB) and fifth-place Geneva (6.5 GB).
“(The players) know what we’re up against,” Jr. Chiefs manager Matt Colbert said. “They need to bring it tomorrow.”
The Salt Cats are the only team to have clinched a playoff birth in the East.
While they have their sights set on the division Salt Cats manager Mike Martinez is focusing on the near future for now.
“We have to go out and play baseball, and win the next game,” Martinez said.
Cortland’s loss in Oneonta means they now have a division-clinching magic number of one.
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