SYRACUSE N.Y. — Benjamin Tullo stepped into the batter’s box, looking to put an exclamation point on the Syracuse Salt Cats’ two-out rally. With the merry-go-round in motion, the second baseman blasted a bases-clearing double off the fence in right-center, cementing a five-run second inning for the home team.

The Syracuse Spartans (6-10-1, 13 points) took the initial lead but could not overcome the monster five-run frame by the Salt Cats (10-7-1, 21 points) in their 8-2 loss on Sunday afternoon. Jack Knapp got the start and pitched well for the Spartans, tossing four scoreless innings (five unearned runs), but the offense could not come through in the clutch, stranding 13 runners. The Spartans have now dropped two straight after winning consecutive games and remain in fifth place of the Eastern Division.

The Spartans pounced all over Salt Cats starter Scott Scheppy in the top of the first. William Kinney started the contest with a hot-shot line drive up the middle for a single, then the speed of Robert Johnston forced a throwing error by the Salt Cats. After Scheppy walked Tanner De Grazia, Vince Gamberdella got plunked by a pitch with the bases loaded, giving the Spartans an early 1-0 lead. Another Salt Cats error plated a second run for the visitors, doubling their advantage to 2-0.

Unlike their opponents, the Spartans’ defense backed starter Jack Knapp in the bottom of the frame. Kinney made two nice plays at shortstop, snaring a pop fly and fielding a groundball on the run for the second out. Knapp retired the Salt Cats 1-2-3 keeping his squad in front after one.

But the Salt Cats battled back with a furious two-out rally in the second inning, scoring five runs. Knapp retired the first two batters, but an error kept the Salt Cats alive. Shane Williams beat out an infield RBI single, and Benjamin Tullo cracked a flyball off the fence with the bases loaded for a three-run double. After the dust settled, the home team took a 5-2 lead.

The Spartans looked poised to respond with runners on second and third with one out in the third. However, Scheppy got David Marchetti swinging for the second time and forced a Ryan Pelton groundout for the third out.

Knapp returned to form, retiring the Salt Cats in order to end the third. The Spartans had another excellent scoring opportunity in the following frame when a single by Kinney and walk by Johnston loaded the bags with two outs. Like the third, the visitors stranded all runners when De Grazia grounded out on the first pitch he saw from Salt Cats reliever Wyatt Braun. Through four, the Spartans left a staggering six runners on base, keeping them behind by three.

Aiden Kerr took over for Knapp and fired a scoreless bottom of the fifth. The right-hander would toss three frames with one unearned run through the seventh, striking out two on his cut-fastball.

Like their previous at-bats, the Spartans got the bases juiced again in the sixth. Josh Gilkey began a one-out rally with a single, followed by Kinney’s third base knock and then Johnston got hit with a pitch for the second time. Whatever the Salt Cats discussed in their mound meeting immediately paid dividends when De Grazia grounded Braun’s first pitch to Matt Stokes at shortstop. The infielder stepped on second and tossed for first for an inning-ending double play, stranding two more runners.

From there, the Salt Cats pitching staff shut down the Spartans, holding them without a hit for the remaining three innings. Braun capped off three scoreless innings, followed by John Wiggins, who eased through two more. Lucas Prokosch worked around an error and walk in the ninth, enforcing a flyout from Pelton to end the contest.

The Spartans return home for a doubleheader against the Hornell Steamers on Monday. First pitch of game one from the Onondaga Community College Sports Complex is set for 5:00. Game two will follow. Fans can watch the Spartans’ live broadcast by visiting our website, https://syracusespartans.com/live/.