GAME 1
BLUE JAYS (11-8) 4
SNOW CATS (15-3) 11
James Cronin (St. Lawrence) and Allen Murphy (St. John Fisher College) collected a home run and three RBI apiece as the Snow Cats extend their win streak to nine games. Murphy scored twice while Cronin crossed home once.
Mark Trotta (William and Mary) tripled and tallied two runs and an RBI. Buzz Shirley (Ithaca) went two-for-two at the plate and slugged a double with two runs and an RBI. Branden Myers (St. Bonaventure) also doubled, hitting his fourth of the season. He nabbed a run and an RBI. Zach Morrison (FLCC), Gil Merod (Ithaca), and Lachlan Charles (Cornell) scored a run apiece. Morrison earned an RBI as well.
Winning pitcher Jack Leahy (RIT) fanned eight and four runs on six hits and over seven innings.
Owen VanNewkirk (Misericordia College) and Shane Hake (Elmira) both doubled for the Blue Jays. VanNewkirk had one RBI and Hake had two.
GAME 2
SNOW CATS (16-3) 6
ORIOLES (5-12) 1
Now on a 9-game win streak, the division-leading Snow Cats sit five games ahead of the second-place Cardinals to clinch the ICBL West Division title. Patrick Blackall (RIT), the Snow Cats’ six-foot-one infielder who leads the league in RBI (17) and has drive in at least one in each of his past eight games, collected two more RBI against the Orioles.
Gil Merod (Ithaca) went two-for-two and collected two RBI. Mark Trotta (William and Mary) and Branden Myers (St. Bonaventure) had an RBI apiece, and Trotta tallied two runs. Buzz Shirley (Ithaca), Allen Murphy (St. John Fisher), James Cronin (St. Lawrence), and David Bermudez (Rider U) earned a run each.
Starter Garrett Bell (Ithaca) earned his first win, pitching six innings and fanning five batters. He allowed three hits and one run. Closer Rojo Prarie struck out two batters in the final inning.
Tyler Henshaw and Troy Leibert (Niagara CCC) split the mound duties for the Orioles, pitching four and three innings respectively. Henshaw held the Snow Cats to one run and struck out four batters. Leibert allowed five runs and struck out two. Maxx Countryman (FLCC) scored the lone run for the Orioles. Philip Ferranti (Mercyhurst) collected the RBI.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].