The Syracuse Spartans had runners on first and third in the bottom of the ninth inning but couldn’t capitalize as the Sherrill Silversmiths claimed victory at the OCC Baseball Complex by a 7-6 score.

The Spartans struck first in the bottom of the first inning. Gibby Sullivan hit a two-run single and Chaz Anthony immediately followed suit with an RBI single. A wild pitch allowed Syracuse to take a 4-0 lead after the first.

However, the Silversmiths stayed patient and scored seven runs in the second. After an error, four walks and four hits, Sherrill pounced and took the commanding lead. The Spartans grabbed a run back on a Cade Collins RBI groundout.

From there, the bullpens dominated the game. The first pitchers out of the bullpen for each team pitched four-plus innings of scoreless baseball. Colin Ray of the Spartans went 4.1 innings while Alex Hardacre from the Silversmiths went 5.1 innings out of the pen.

The Spartans had late inning rallies in an attempt to come back. Syracuse had the bases loaded in the eighth but couldn’t bring a run home. A Collins single in the ninth plated one more run, but the Spartans couldn’t find the final breakthrough.

The next Spartans game is on Wednesday, June 19 at the Cortland Crush. First pitch is set for 6:00 pm. The next Spartans home game is on Thursday, June 27 against the Rochester Ridgemen. First pitch is set for 7:00 pm.