SYRACUSE, NY – It was another picturesque day at Onondaga Community College as the Syracuse Spartans and Syracuse Salt Cats battled in a doubleheader.
Game One:
Ryan Cormier had to deal with runners on the corners to start things off in the first. With one out, he forced Zach Buck to ground into a 4-6-3 double play to close the frame.
An Eddy Garcia error gave the Spartans two baserunners of their own in the next half inning. Jackson Geisler was beaned by an off-speed pitch, which loaded the bases for Anthony May. He proceeded to ground out to third, so both teams left chances up in the air in the first.
It was a pitchers duel going into the bottom of the fourth. Up to that point, both teams had a combined three hits.
Jake Sisto led off with a single in the bottom half of the fourth to get things going. Joseph Gaeta reached base on an HBP, giving a prime chance for top of the order. On a passed ball, both runners moved over to second and third. Once again, Shepherd grounded out to end the frame. Through four, the Spartans left eight runners on base without scoring a run.
Two reached base for the Salt Cats in the top of the fifth, giving Ryan Cormier some trouble. WIth two outs, Cormier forced a flyout from Eddy Garcia, leaving the inning unscathed.
David Bedrosian drew a walk and stole second to begin the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, Bedrosian also swiped third, his third stolen base of the day. Jake Sisto slapped a fastball into deep left, scoring Bedrosian and Anthony May, to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead.
Going into the top of the seventh, the final inning, Jordan Dickson took the mound to try and collect the save. He punched out Morales, Wilson and Sisto in order to earn his second save of the summer.
With this win, the Spartans improved to 7-0-2 in nine games against the Salt Cats. Ryan Cormier collected the win, going six innings, giving up no hits, two earned runs and two strikeouts.
Game Two:
Charlie Hawley took the bump in game two, his first start of the summer. The Spartans looked to try and finish the regular season against the Salt Cats undefeated.
Hawley fanned all three batters he faced in the first, collecting three quick strikeouts to begin.
The Spartans broke things open in the bottom of the second. Teague Conder drew a walk and Matthew Alexander was hit by a pitch, leaving a chance for Kyle Platt. Platt went on to line a ball into right, scoring Conder to make it 1-0. Moments later, Joseph Gaeta collected his first RBI of the summer with a shot down the third base side, extending the lead to 2-0.
Hawley had to work with a bases loaded jam in the top of the third. An error by Drake Warner after a Huffman strikeout allowed Kent Wilson to score, cutting the lead to 2-1.
Nolan Giblin led off the fourth with a triple into right field off of Andrew Case in relief. Aaron Sisto grounded out to short while scoring Giblin to knot the game up at 2-2.
The Salt Cats added one more in the top of the fifth off of an RBI from Carter Huffman. A shot into right field scored Luke Smith, which gave them a 3-2 lead.
Finn Doherty came in to relieve Case in the sixth, but the Salt Cats threatened. Aaron Sisto and Eddy Garcia both advanced to second and third. Doherty was able to escape, striking out Luke Smith to end the inning.
Peyton Harding had an RBI fielder’s choice to push the lead to 4-2 in the top of the seventh. Right after, Aaron Sisto lined one into left field that scored two, his third RBI of the game, to extend the lead to 6-2.
Additionally, Kent Wilson stole second, which allowed Aaron Sisto to run home on the throw to make it 7-2, the final score of the ballgame.
In their tenth try this summer, the Salt Cats pick up their first win of the summer against the Spartans.
The Spartans close out the regular season tomorrow against Sherill at 5:05 at Onondaga Community College. Admission is free. Go Spartans!