The Syracuse Spartans bullpen couldn’t hold onto the lead as the Syracuse Salt Cats won via run rule 12-2. 

The Salt Cats took the initial lead in the top of the first, but the Spartans responded in the following innings. A long sacrifice fly to left field from Ben Timblin drove in a run in the bottom of the second. The Spartans benefitted from misfortune in the third as an error from the Salt Cats pitcher allowed Matt Alexander to scramble home to give the Spartans a 2-1 lead after three innings.

However, that would be it for the Spartans as the Salt Cats took the lead in the 5th and never looked back. The Salt Cats took advantage of seven walks, two hit batters and four wild pitches by the Spartans bullpen. The wild Spartans pitching allowed 11 Salt Cats runs to score in the 5th and 6th inning.

That triggered the run rule in the NYCBL as the Salt Cats held a 10-run lead. If a team leads by 10 runs or more after the end of seven or eight innings, the game ends. The Spartans did have chances to cancel the run rule with the bases loaded in the sixth and seventh inning, but couldn’t score as the game ended in run rule fashion.

Lucas Dennis did everything he could in the beginning of the game, as the Spartans starting pitcher threw four innings, allowing only two hits and one unearned run with five strikeouts.

The Spartans are next in action on Tuesday, June 11 with a doubleheader at the Cortland Crush. First pitch for game one is set for 1:00 pm. The next Spartans home game is on Thursday, June 13 against the Sherrill Silversmiths. First pitch is set for 7:00 pm.