By ANTHONY SCOTT
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Syracuse Junior Chiefs bounced back from their loss against Sherrill on Saturday night with a 6-4 victory over the Wellsville Nitros in New York Collegiate Baseball League action.
The Nitros were riding a two-game win streak and moved into third place in their division heading into Saturday’s game. The Nitros bats were hot early, Jacob Means (Cowley County) gave his team a 1-0 lead when he sprayed an RBI single between short and third.
The Nitros retained their 1-0 lead until the fourth inning when the Junior Chiefs cracked through in a big away against Wellsville starter Michael DEletto (Central Methodist). Syracuse shortstop Webb Little (Ithaca) took DEletto deep for his first home run of the season and tied the ballgame at one apiece.
Syracuse coach Joe Antonio was waiting for his team’s power to show.
“We do have a good hitting team,” the Jr. Chiefs coach said. “I knew it when they first came in, and I watched their swings.”
After Little’s home run it was time for the newcomers to the team, Joe DeLuca (Col. of Saint Rose) and Matt Kleinstein (Felician), to shine. Kleinstein crushed one into the left-center field gap and was able to score DeLuca, and give their team a 2-1 lead. Another run came across in the fourth inning due to an error committed by the Nitros. The Chiefs led 3-1 and Nitro starter DEletto exited the game.
“We just didn’t play a clean game defensively,” Nitros coach Jason Cronin said. “And it hurt us.”
On the other side of the ball, Syracuse starter Jason Markowski was sharp. After his first inning scrape Markowski went on to hold Wellsville scoreless for the next six innings. During the six innings Markowski went on a stretch in which he struck out six Nitro batters in a row, five of which went down as backwards K’s in the score book.
“My changeup was really working today,” Markowski said. “I didn’t have my curveball, so it was just a lot of fastballs and changeups.
“It felt good to not get pulled in the middle of the inning, and finish the inning and get the win.”
Markowski pitched seven innings allowing just the one first-inning run while striking out nine hitters.
While Nitro hitters were being sent back to the dugout, Junior Chief batters were rounding the bases as the new guys DeLuca and Kleinstein scored two runs in the sixth inning. Syracuse was leading 5-1 heading into the eighth.
Wellsville would not go down quietly, Michael McNicholl (Eastern New Mexico) singled to put runners on first and second for the Nitros. Then with two outs Carson Shrode (Tennessee Martin) came through with a two-run double that was lost in the lights by the Syracuse left fielder. Wellsville cut the lead to 5-3.
However in the bottom half of the eighth, Junior Chief catcher Kleinstein came up big again. This time Kleinstein unleashed on a ball and it went for a deep solo homer to give Syracuse an insurance run.
Kleinstein’s homer gave his team a 6-3 lead.
“It feels good to show my teammates what I can do,” Kleinstein said. “I hope for continued success catching and hitting.”
Syracuse was glad they had a little bit of insurance because things got a little dicey in the ninth. The Nitros scored a run to make it 6-4 and they had men on first and second and the winning run was at the plate. Closer Joeseph Ditorrice II (Manhattan) stood strong for his team as he struck out McNicholl to end the game and secure a 6-4 victory for the Junior Chiefs.
Coach Antonio was happy to see his team get a win after losing the previous night.
“I’m just proud we can bounce back.”
Syracuse looks to win their second in a row and gain another game on division leading Cortland, when they take to the diamond at Beaudry Park, to play the Crush on Monday at 3:00P.M.
The Nitros try to get the back on the right side of the scoreboard at home tomorrow, when the Rochester Ridgeman come to town at 5:00P.M.
Leave a Reply