Three runs for the Spartans in the top of the ninth were not enough to complete a comeback against the Sherrill Silversmiths on Tuesday night. Syracuse fell short 11-8 to Sherrill as the race for the second seed in the NYCBL Eastern Division continued.

The game for the Spartans started off well with a JC Ng RBI single in the top of the first, but Sherrill responded. The Silversmiths scored three runs in the bottom of the first with a Michael Benedetto RBI single and a Blake VanDreason two-run double. The Spartans continued to chip away after an error from VanDreason scored another run in the top of the second. Syracuse reclaimed the lead in the top of the third with a two-run home run from Noah Roots, his first of the season.

All of this came with Spartans starter Jordan Goldmann on the mound. After the first inning, Jordan shut down the Sherrill bats in his time on the mound. He left after four innings with four strikeouts.

Sherrill started its comeback in the bottom of the sixth. The Silversmiths grabbed three runs in the frame off a bases-loaded walk to Joe Comins, a RBI single from Anthony Poole and a balk from Syracuse reliever Jack Clifford. Sherrill took a 6-4 lead after six innings. 

From there, the Silversmiths held onto the lead. Austin Bequeath tripled home another run in the seventh before Kyle Hoog gave the Spartans a run in the eighth with a RBI single. However, Sherrill continued to take advantage of the small dimensions at Noyes Park with a solo home run from Comins and a three-run blast from Jackson Haker.

The Spartans tried to mount a furious comeback in the top of the ninth inning after a two-run home run from Colin Williams and a ground-rule RBI double from Jimmy Legg. However, the rally fell short as the deficit was too much for Syracuse to overcome.

Syracuse and Sherrill are now tied for the second seed in the NYCBL Eastern Division, with each team posting an 18-20 record. The season series between the two teams is tied at 3-3. Both teams hold a four-point lead over the Syracuse Salt Cats, who currently sit in fourth place. The top three teams in each division of the NYCBL qualify for the playoffs. 

The next game for the Spartans is an away tilt at the Rochester Ridgemen on Wednesday, July 20 at 1:00 pm ET. The game is a make-up of the game originally scheduled for Monday, July 18 which was postponed due to rain. The next home game for the Spartans is on Thursday, July 21 against the Sherrill Silversmiths as Syracuse hosts its final home game of the regular season.