For the last game on the Spartans’ 2022 regular season campaign, they took on the Syracuse Saltcats. With both teams clinching playoff spots yesterday evening, this game represented the precursor to a highly anticipated wild card game. The winner of this matchup will walk away with home field advantage at OCC the next evening.
With rain expected in and out throughout the evening, rain pushed the first pitch to 2:15pm. Both squads were held scoreless in the first, but the Spartans struck first off a two out RBI single from Robert Johnston. As for the Saltcats, they didn’t get their first hit until Matt Rinaldi’s lead off single in the fourth inning. As for the bottom of the fourth, the Saltcats’ quickly went to their bullpen, bringing out Seth Pariette.
His day was brief, throwing two scoreless innings before Seth McLeveen then took over on the mound in the top of the sixth. After loading the bases, the Spartans’ Charlie Burton stepped up to the dish as rain poured down once again. Impressively, MCLeveen got out of the bases loaded jam, keeping it a 1-0 Spartans lead going into the bottom of the sixth.
After a lead-off knock from Walker Zampella, and Bailey Martin tied it up with an RBI single with one out. Jack Clifford got out of the 1 out jam, keeping it tied 1-1 going into the seventh inning.
Still at a 1-1 stalemate, the Saltcats went to their fourth pitcher of the evening in the eighth inning, LHP Josian Ortiz. Heading into the bottom of the eighth, that’s when mother nature struck again, giving us our first official extended rain delay of the evening. After a brief break, Jack Clifford took the mound for his eighth inning of work. 1-2-3 went the Saltcats, as Clifford continued his impressive outing, sending it to the ninth inning tied at 1 with their rivals.
With the Spartans going 1-2-3 by Josian Ortiz, that gave the Saltcats earned a chance to walk things off in order to snag home field advantage for tomorrow’s wild card matchup. Surprisingly enough, Jack Clifford – the first pitcher to make it past 7 innings in a start on the season for the Spartans – took the mound to open up the ninth, and try and send it to extra innings. He sat down the Saltcats down 1-2-3 as well, sending it to the tenth inning.
Ethan Caiazza got the nod for the tenth inning for the Saltcats. They once again went down in order, making it up to the Saltcats on whether or not the game can end in a tie, or a win.
Jack Clifford took the mound for his TENTH – yes – TENTH inning of work in the bottom of the inning. The first sign of trouble was a lead off walk to Kent Wilson, followed by a bunt single from Amani Jones. An error by Connor Lavigne on a controversial double play effort from Camden unfortunately walked-off the win for the Saltcats who earned home field advantage for the Wildcard, a final score of 2-1 for the Saltcats.