By CODY LOVE
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Game one between the Salt Cats and Jr. Chiefs featured a pitcher’s duel that looked hard to top until game two featured two of them.
Phil Madonna’s (Siena) walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 13TH inning brought the Syracuse Jr. Chiefs even in the best of three New York Collegiate Baseball League Eastern Divisional Series as they topped the Syracuse Salt Cats 2-1 at Onondaga Community College on Monday night.
Starters Anderson Burgess (Salt Cats, Coppin State) and Matthew Wood (Jr. Chiefs, Salve Regina) went toe-to-toe, trading scoreless half innings until the bottom of the fourth.
Madonna led the inning off with a double and two batters later, Samuel Ellinwood (Amherst) knocked him home on an RBI single to give the Jr. Chiefs a 1-0 lead.
Burgess would remain in the game and record two more 1-2-3 innings, finishing with six innings pitched, one earned run on six hits, one walk, and five strikeouts.
Wood kept the Jr. Chiefs’ narrow advantage safe until the eighth inning.
Evan Holland (Florida International), led off the inning by reaching first on an error.
He then took second base on a wild pitch and reached third on a flyout by Matthew Mastroianni (SUNY Oneonta).
Lucas Tevlin (Binghamton) knocked him home on an RBI single to tie the game.
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That marked the end of the day for Wood, who registered seven and a third innings pitched, allowing one unearned run on five hits and a walk while striking out five.
He was replaced by Christopher Pennell (St. Thomas Aquinas) who quickly induced a double play to end the inning.
Kyle Taylor (Gloucester County College) came on to pitch for the Salt Cats in the eighth, and thus began a remarkable second pitcher’s duel that would complete the game.
Pennell ended up getting the win: he pitched five and two thirds scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out seven.
“I was really pumping the zone,” Pennell said. “I just settled down, threw strikes, and I trust my teammates to make the plays, and they did.”
“He hasn’t gone that long all summer,” Jr. Chiefs manager Matt Colbert said. “But he’s the guy in that situation we want with the ball, and as long as he tells me he feels good, I trust him.”
Taylor matched Pennell inning for inning until the bottom of the thirteenth.
Justin Healey (Widener) led the inning off by drawing a walk. He advanced to third on a stolen base and a wild pitch.
After Shane Trevino (Indiana U-Purdue U) struck out, Madonna delivered his game-winning hit.
“This is what you do it for,” Madonna said. “This is why you get up for morning lifts in the winter…it feels pretty good.”
Taylor was the tough luck loser, pitching four and a third innings, allowing just the earned run and a hit while walking two and striking out eight.
Trouble at second base proved to be the Salt Cats’ undoing in extras, as three major putouts occurred there to shut down rallies.
In the eleventh, Chris McGee (Binghamton) hit a two-out single and appeared to stretch it to a double, but he slid past the bag and was tagged out.
In the 12th, Tim Hunter (Tyler JC) walked to start the inning, but Anthony Galanoudis’ (Molloy) bunt attempt went awry.
The sacrifice popped backwards and foul. Madonna made a diving catch.
Hunter tagged and tried to reach second, but Madonna got a throw off in time and the umpire ruled that Hunter was tagged out.
In the thirteenth, the Salt Cats had Tevlin on first and Mastroianni on second with one out when Bilello ripped a hard liner that appeared to be headed for left center field.
But Ellinwood, the shortstop, leapt, caught the ball and doubled up Mastroianni at second to end the inning.
It was a bang-bang play, and Salt Cats manager Mike Martinez was ejected for passionately arguing the call.
Tyler Clifford (SUNY Brockport) picked up two innings of relief between Burgess and Taylor, allowing no runs on one hit and notching a strikeout.
Extra-base hits were limited for the second night in a row, with just Madonna and Danny Walczak (Aurora) picking up doubles for the Jr. Chiefs and Julian Bilodeau (Palm Beach Atlantic) doubling for the Salt Cats.
This series is now tied at one game apiece, which means the two teams must meet again in a decisive game three.
The Salt Cats will be the home team in the matchup, which is scheduled for Tuesday night at 7:00 at Onondaga Community College.
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