By ANTHONY SCOTT
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Syracuse Junior Chiefs were able to overcome seven errors on Sunday night to defeat the Syracuse Salt Cats 6-4 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Onondaga Community College.
The two teams based out of Syracuse were involved in the rubber match of a three-game series on Sunday. The Salt Cats were without arguably their best hitter in Sam Rischel (East Stroudsburg) because of a concussion he suffered after a collision at home plate in Saturday’s game.
The Salt Cats had to find different ways to score without Rishel, and they did. In the top of the second, Shannon Baker (Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne) led off the inning with a walk, one of the four walks he produced throughout the game to go along with a single. Baker was moved to second via the sacrifice bunt, and later scored the games first run on a single delivered by Adam Thoryk (Alma College).
Then in the bottom half of the inning the Junior Chiefs responded. After an error allowed the Chiefs to even the score at one, Webb Little (Ithaca College) registered an RBI to give the Chiefs the lead. Then with two outs and men on second and third it was Tristan Dacey’s (Salve Regina Univ.) turn at the dish, and he delivered. Dacey lifted the ball over the third baseman’s head and it went down the line for a two-run double and gave the Chiefs a 4-1 lead.
Dacey ended the game 2-for-5 with two doubles.
“He left the ball over the outside of the plate,” Dacey said. “As a lefty I just took it the other way.”
Salt Cat starter Vinny Amato (Nichols College) was only charged with one earned run in the second inning. Then Amato and teammate David Brown (Kutztown Univ.) held the Junior Chiefs scoreless through the next four innings.
While the Junior Chiefs offense was stagnant the Salt Cats were finding unusual ways to score runs. The Salt Cats were able to cut the Junior Chief lead to two in the fourth inning after a sacrifice fly by Adam Thoryk. Then in the fifth the Salt Cats tied the game at four after capitalizing on sloppy errors by the Junior Chief defense.
With the game knotted up at four Sam Little (Ithaca College) started off the bottom of the seventh with a single. Then he advanced to second on a wild pitch before he was knocked in by a Cristobal Ruiz (St Thomas Aquinas Col.) single to give the Junior Chiefs a 5-4 lead.
“I was really just trying to hit something hard and get the guy in from second” Ruiz said about his key hit in the seventh.
The Junior Chiefs added an insurance run in the eighth to give them a 6-4 lead.
Then in the ninth Joseph DiTorrice II (Manhattan) was on the mound to try and complete the five out save. After DiTorrice II scared the Junior Chief fans with two walks to start the inning, he battled back and got the save striking out two of the final three Salt Cat batters.
The Junior Chief bullpen pitched 4.2 scoreless innings after giving up seven runs on Saturday and manager Joe Antonio could not be more pleased with his guys.
“Our bullpen was much better tonight, they came out and did what they are supposed to do… they were focused.”
Morgan WIlson (St. Michael’s Col.) was credited with the win for the Junior Chiefs. As for the Salt Cats, Johnny Croley (The Citadel) got the loss out of the bullpen.
The Syracuse Junior Chiefs will be at home on Monday as they welcome in the Rochester Ridgemen for some interleague play, first pitch is set for 7 P.M.
The Syracuse Salt Cats will look to bounce back when they travel out of league to take on the Adirondack Trailblazers.
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