By KATIE FAULKNER
WELLSVILLE, N.Y. — Behind solid pitching from Carlos Tejeda (Bloomfield) the Wellsville Nitros snapped a five-game losing streak with a 15-3 win over the Rochester Ridgemen in New York Collegiate Baseball League action, Thursday.
Tejeda allowed three runs on eight hits in seven innings of work. He struck out eight before Brett Migliore (Canisius) took over for the final two innings, allowing one hit.
“I was trying to work my spots and throw the ball down at the knee to force ground balls,” said Tejeda.
Tejeda, who has been battling bicep tendinitis, faced his highest batter count (31) since May 28.
“Carlos is a true competitor, especially with the bicep tendinitis he’s been battling all summer,” said Wellsville pitching coach, Tucker Hughes. “He worked his way back into the rotation, and obviously he’s not striking everyone out, but he’s putting the work in and his defense backed him up well tonight.”
After committing six errors in an 8-7 loss against the Ridgemen on Tuesday, The Nitros cleaned their defense up.
“The point of emphasis today was to come out and play a clean ball game,” said Hughes. “[Rochester] is a good hitting team, and if you give them extra base hits they are going to take advantage of it.”
The Ridgemen struck first in the third when Ethan Luna (Southwestern) connected on a two-run home run to make the score 2-0.
However, that would be the extent of Rochester’s lead, as the Nitros went on to score eight runs in the third.
With the bases loaded, Wellsville’s Mike DEletto (Central Methodist) jump-started the offense with an RBI single to score Pat Scholla (John Carroll). Harry Montero Jr. (Bloomfield) plated Migliore with a sacrifice fly before Jake Sims (Roane State CC) connected on a two-run double. In his second at-bat of the inning, Scholla delivered a two-run double to plate Sims and Jake Means (Cowley County CC). A Cole Tracy (Finger Lakes) RBI single drove in Scholla to make the score 8-2.
The Nitros extended their lead in the fifth when Dalton Earl (SUNY IOT) connected on his first of two doubles of the game to plate Migliore and DEletto.
Scholla paced the offense for the Nitros going 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI. DEletto went 3-for-4 and scored three runs. Means went 3-for-5. Migliore, Sims and Earl added two hits.
Luna paced the offense for Rochester going 2-for-2 with two RBI and a home run. Casey Claflin (Northwestern Ohio) and Matthew Fischer (Mid-America Nazarene) added two hits apiece.
Reagan Lucia (Lubbock Christian) gave up 10 runs on 12 hits in four innings on the mound. He retired four before Luna and Devin Cerrato (Covenant) took over. Luna allowed three runs on four hits, while Cerrato gave up two runs on three hits.
Wellsville improved to 21-22. With the win and the Genesee Rapids loss, the Nitros clinched a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
The Nitros head to Maple City Park to take on the Hornell Dodgers (21-22), Friday at 7 p.m. It is first of two games this weekend between two teams battling for home-field advantage in the one-game opening round of the playoffs.
Rochester fell to 10-34.
The Ridgemen take on the Genesee Rapids (17-26) at Basket Rd Field on Friday at 7 p.m.
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