By JAMES HADNOT
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — As Cortland Crush Starting Pitcher, Shae Edmonds (East Central University), was being interviewed for his performance, his teammates came charging behind the camera with one on the other’s shoulders. The excitement was evident as the Cortland Crush topped the Syracuse Salt Cats, 8-1 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action, Tuesday night.
“The fastball was on today,” said Edmonds “Coach Payne and I had a talk before the game just about getting it over the plate and being consistent.”
Edmonds went seven innings allowing one earned run on four hits. The starter struck out seven and walked just one.
The win means the Crush move one game closer to clinching the top spot in the NYCBL’s Eastern Division and a first round bye in the league’s playoffs.
“We came in here with a plan to take the number one seed and get the bye day in playoffs,” said Edmonds. “It would mean everything to us.”
The Salt Cats scurried out to an early lead in the bottom of the second. Josh Rodriguez (SUNY Institute of Technology) sent a ball right back up the middle for an RBI single to score Brandon Corneilus (Rutgers University-Camden).
That was the only run for Syracuse and the Crush took the lead the following inning. Cortland scored three runs on three hits with the only earned run coming on an RBI groundout by Paul Ludden (SUNY Brockport).
Those three runs were a part of eight unanswered to close out the game for the visitors. Cortland had a big fifth inning dropping a four spot on the Salt Cats. The big hit this inning came off the bat William Haaland (Trinity University). After a pitching change, Haaland pulled the ball down the right field line for a two-run single making the score, 7-1.
“This team I can’t say enough about them,” said Edmonds. “They have put me in a position to win all year. They’re doing a great job at the plate and I hope they can keep it rolling for playoffs.”
With the win the Crush move to 27-13. Their magic number for clinching their first division title is three.
For the Salt Cats, they fall to (20-21) and are three and a half games ahead of the Rome Generals for the final playoff spot in the East. Syracuse takes on the Rome at the Onondaga Community College with huge playoff implications tonight at 7:00pm.
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