8-7 was your final score Saturday evening as the Spartans played at the Syracuse Saltcats, losing and advancing to an even record of 9-9. With the Saltcats’ second win of the season against the Spartans, they moved to 7-7-2, moving to sole possession of third place in the Eastern division.

The Spartans looked comfortable early, jumping out a 3-0 lead in the first. Matthew Alexander led off with a single, followed by a mix of 2 hit by pitches, 2 walks, and a second single several at-bats later from Kyle Hoog. Following that offensive first inning, 2 more runs came in for the Spartans in the second, at the hands of an RBI triple from Noah Roots. That abbreviated the Saltcats’ starting pitcher Scott Scheppy’s evening to just 2.0 IP, allowing 5 ER, with 4 hits and 3 walks to his name. 

After Kolby Mordecki came in for relief of Scheppy, he held the Spartans scoreless for five innings, allowing space for the SaltCats to catch up. And they certainly did, tying the ballgame up with a 5-spot in the bottom of the 4th inning. It started with Seth Zurbruegg allowing a 3 straight singles from Bailey Martin, Ryan Gonzalez, and Bryce Richey, curating their first run. With Gonzalez and Richey on, Aaron Sisto built upon his double from earlier, striking a 3-run homerun to left field, making it a 5-4 game. The final run of the inning occurred at the hands of an error from an errant throw from Right Field. 

Jordan Goldmann came in for relief after Zurbruegg’s 4.2 IP, following with a final scoreline of 1 ER over 3 innings of work. Nonetheless, the Spartans final push came in the 8th, scoring two runs off the bats of JC Ng, and Charlie Burton, who both drove in a runner with a double a piece. 

Despite the loss, Noah Roots and Charlie Burton both stepped away from the game with admirable 2-4 days at the dish. For the Saltcats, their offense was mainly driven from a 3-5 day from Matt Rinaldi, their leadoff hitter. 

Seth Zurbruegg moves to 2-2 on the season, as the Saltcats’ Kolby Mordecki is awarded his first win of the season. The Spartans are now only 2 points ahead of the Saltcats for second place in the Eastern Division.