By JAMES HADNOT

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — “Don’t let your today darken your tomorrow” were the last words uttered  post game by Genesee Rapids head coach, JT Thomas. As the season winds down and the playoff race heats up, the Rapids embodied that quote with a 6-5 win over the Syracuse Salt Cats Saturday night in New York Collegiate Baseball League action.

The Rapids spoiled a top-notch performance by Syracuse starting pitcher, Sean Pisik (LeMoyne College) who went seven strong innings allowing just one earned run on four hits and 11 strikeouts.

In the top of the eighth trailing 2-1, the Rapids put up three runs on the home team. Wes Brown (William Carey University) knocked in a pair with a two-run single to give the Rapids their first lead of the game. William Lucas (University of Charleston) went to first on a dropped third strike, and Allen Murphy (St. John Fisher College) came home to score to push the lead to 4-2 after seven and a half innings.

After Johnny Knight IV (Walsh University) scored the Salt Cats only run in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI single, the Rapids put two more on the board in the top of the ninth. Judah Wollenburg (University of Rio Grande) laid down a bunt that was misplayed and two runs scored pushing the lead to 6-3.

It’s not a Salt Cats game if they did not make it interesting in the final moments. Genesee Closer, Breton LaRose (Sacred Heart University), walked four of his first five batters to help the Salt Cats score its first run of the bottom of the ninth.

“I threw a strike to the first kid and then it kinda just started spiraling down after that,” said LaRose.

The Salt Cats scored another run on a sacrifice fly by Johnny Knight IV (Walsh University) to make the score 6-5. Then, the Rapids recorded the final out on a deep line drive to centerfield.

“Thank God Mark made the catch, and I made a good pitch,” said LaRose. “And, I didn’t blow it.”

The win moves the Rapids to (14-25) just four and a half games behind the Hornell Dodgers for the final playoff spot in the Western Division. The loss for the Salt Cats puts them at (20-19) on the season four and a half games up on the Rome Generals for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Division.