By ANTHONY SCOTT
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Syracuse Junior Chiefs were home at Onondaga Community College on Tuesday night to try and sweep the Rome Generals after they took both games in a doubleheader on Monday. The Junior Chief bats were happy to be home as they hammered 12 hits on their way to a 10-2 victory over the Rome Generals in New York Collegiate Baseball League action.
Trevor Thompson (Ithaca) recorded the first Jr. Chief hit of the night as he singled up the middle. Thompson later came around and scored the first run of the game as Alexander Ferlenda (St. Bonaventure) earned a walk while the bases were full.
The Jr. Chiefs offense kept on rolling the entire night. Thompson was back at it again with an RBI in the third inning off a sacrifice fly to left field. The Junior Chiefs led 2-0 after the third inning.
The barrage of runs continued in the bottom of the fourth inning for Syracuse.
Steven Zimmerman JR. (East Stroudsburg Univ.) started the frame off with a double that knocked the General starter out of the game. Jack Simons (Keystone Col.) came out of the bullpen for the visitors to try and hault the Syracuse run. However, the Junior Chiefs continued to pile on runs as Nick Roy (Nichols Col.) laced a bases clearing triple that broke the game open 5-0. Sam Little (Ithaca) was able to add another run via a sacrifice fly.
“I just took it like any other at bat,” Roy said. “I saw the infield was in and just tried to hit something hard and out of the infield.”
Junior Chief starter Patrick Merryweather (College of Charleston) gave Rome zero chance of getting back in the game as he was brilliant on the hill for Syracuse. Merryweather was able to rebound from his last outing as he tossed seven scroeless innings. The senior got in a jam in the eighth, but coach Antonio trusted his veteran starter and let him complete the inning. Merryweather got out of the inning allowing two runs to cross the plate, but none of them were earned. The Junior Chiefs led 10-2 heading into the final inning.
“This is the first start in a year that I felt really comfortable,” Merryweather said. “It felt nice to finally get back.”
Syracuse brought on reliever Ben Atkinson (SUNY Fredonia) to close the door and he did just that, sending the Rome Generals down in order and picking up a strikeout on the way.
The Junior Chiefs were able to finish off the sweep of the Generals with a win in the final game of the series 10-2.
“You got to play good baseball if you expect to win in this league,” Rome coach Craig Fairley said. “It does not matter if you are playing Olean or whoever.”
Junior Chief outfielder Anthony Seminaris (Mt. San Antonio Col.) did not come up with any clutch base knocks, but he had a quality day at the plate nonetheless. Seminaris had an RBI triple in the seventh, and that brought him within a home run of the cycle. Seminaris got a chance for the rare feat in the eighth, but flew out to center.
“I just try to stay even minded, and come out everyday and do what we have to do,” Seminaris said.
“As far as I’m concerned we have the best hitting team in the league,” Syracuse manager Joe Antonio said.
Syracuse (13-8) looks to pull within a game and a half of division leading Cortland, Wednesday when the two teams square off at Onondaga Community College. First pitch is scheduled at 7:00 P.M.
As for the 6-13 Rome Generals, they get a day off on Wednesday, but will seek to bounce back when they travel to take on the Sherrill Silversmiths on Thursday at noon.
Leave a Reply