By ANTHONY SCOTT
The Syracuse Junior Chiefs starter Matthew Sandoval (Purdue Univ. Calumet) was bombarded with cheers from his teammates after he stepped off the mound in the ninth finishing his complete game. However his counterpart Sean Pisik, (Le Moyne College) was a shade better for the Syracuse Salt Cats.
The Syracuse Salt Cats defeated the Syracuse Junior Chiefs 3-2 on Wednesday night in New York Collegiate Baseball league action at Onondaga Community College.
The Junior Chiefs were looking for their second win in a row when they sent Sandoval to the hill to face their dorm room rivals, the Syracuse Salt Cats. The first inning did not go as planned for Sandoval as he was knocked around for three runs.
The big blow came with one out and men on first and second when Salt Cat catcher Shannon Baker (Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne) stepped up to the dish. Baker delivered a two-run double to left center field that scored both Christian Rishel (East Stroudsburg) and Joe Anslemi (Manhattanville). The Salt Cats led 3-0 after the first.
“I was looking for the fastball away… and he gave it to me,” Baker said. “I just went with it to the left-center field gap and it proved to help us get the win.”
Junior Chief coach Joe Antonio trusted his starter as he let him continue on in the game , and it proved to be a lucrative move as Sandoval was over matching after the first. Sandoval no-hit the Salt Cats for the final eight innings as he went on to pitch a complete game. Sandoval finished his nine innings with eight strikeouts, four walks, two hits allowed, and only the three first inning runs allowed.
“I told coach after the fifth or sixth inning, I’m finishing this game.” Sandoval said. “I was able to keep my change-up low and that really helped me.”
The other Syracuse squad had a dominant pitching performance of their own in Pisik who showed no mercy toward the Junior Chiefs hitters as he struck out 10 batters. The only trouble he encountered was in the sixth inning when Sam Little (Ithaca College) roped a triple to right field. Little would later score off of a Conner Lafferty (Desales Univ) sacrifice fly. Other than that little scratch, Pisik was unstoppable finishing with six innings pitched allowing just the one run and four hits.
“Shannon (Baker) my catcher was calling really good pitches, and we were working really good together,” Pisik said. “My fastball kept them off balance and the slider was my pitch.”
The Junior Chiefs were able to scratch across a third run in the ninth inning by playing small ball to make it 3-2, but it was not enough. Salt Cats pitcher Matthew Colon (James Madison) was credited with the save.
The 3-1 Salt Cats are home on Thursday to take on the Rome Generals. While the 3-4 Junior Chiefs hit the road on Thursday to face the Sherrill Silversmiths.
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