By KATIE FAULKNER
WELLSVILLE, N.Y. — Matt Hunt (Manhattanville) and a 24-hit effort helped the Wellsville Nitros get back on track with an 18-5 win over the Genesee Rapids in New York Collegiate Baseball League action, Wednesday.
Hunt allowed five runs on eight hits over 7.1 innings of work. The LaGrange, N.Y. native struck out 10 and walked three.
“I was just trying to come out and get ahead in the count,” said Hunt. “I wasn’t expecting to stay in that long, but I was hitting my spots and had good velocity, so I wanted to keep going.”
The Nitros put up the first 15 runs of the game before the Rapids were able to tack one on in the fifth. Wellsville’s Pat Scholla (John Carroll) got things started with an RBI single to plate Jacob Sims (Roane State CC). A Michael DEletto (Central Methodist) sacrifice fly scored Carson Shrode (Tennessee Martin), before Tyler Culpepper (Roane State CC) drove in Brian Wasilewski (U of Buffalo). Nic Varda (Ashland) connected on a two-run double before Harry Montero Jr. (Bloomfield) sent one over the fence for his sixth home run of the season.
Wellsville sent 13 to the plate and extended its lead with an eight-run fourth inning. Culpepper doubled twice in the inning and scored on a Montero two-bagger. Sims drove in Max Franzone (Domincan) and Montero with another double. Shrode and Scholla both drove in runs, and Varda made it 15-1 with an RBI single.
The Rapids ended their scoring drought in the fifth. Judah Wollenburg (Rio Grande) plated Jonathan Nola Walsh) with a double.
Genesee’s Dan Crozier (Cazenovia) connected on a two-run home run to make it a 15-3 game in the sixth.
Dalton Earl (SUNY IT) connected on a two-run home run, and Wasilewski added a solo shot in the seventh for Wellsville.
“With more playing time I’ve just been focusing on looking for good pitches and getting myself into good counts,” said Earl. “A lot of kids are going to jump on the first pitch, but with limited at-bats I need to be more focused.”
Grant Myers (Monmouth) added a home run for the Rapids. Nola went 2-for-4 and scored once.
Leshawn Perry (LIU Post) threw a scoreless inning and a third for Genesee.
Wellsville’s Culpepper went 4-for-4 with three RBI while Franzone went 3–for-5. Montero went 2-for-3 with three RBI and a home run. He is now batting a league-best .408 on the season. He also leads the league in RBI with 39 and is tied for the league lead with six home runs. Sims, Shrode, Scholla and DEletto all had two hits for the Nitros.
The Nitros improved to 15-17 on the season, while the Rapids fell to 11-21.
Wellsville hosts the Rochester Ridgemen (8-24) on Thursday at 5 p.m.
The Rapids are off until Friday when they face the Nitros again in Wellsville at 5 p.m.
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