Webster Outlasts Brockport

Tuesday night, Dave Brust’s Webster Yankees needed eleven innings to dispatch a resilient Brockport Riverbat squad, 6-5 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action. 

Ollie Bertrand (Monroe CC) made the most of an elventh-inning walk as the pinstripes rebounded after their stellar defense abandoned them for one inning. 
Bertrand led the eleventh with a free pass. One out later, Jason Edwards (Toledo) singled into left field. Chriss Soldi (Umass-Lowell) followed with a ground ball that looked destined for an inning-ending double play. That is until Bertrand did his best to distract Riverbat shortstop, Mitch Wells (Central Conn St. U). 

With bases loaded and Shawn Bailey (SUNY Cortland) at the plate, a Chance Williams (Texas Tyler) breaking ball kicked off the glove of Josh Bishop (St. Augustine’s). The ball barely left the home plate dirt, and Bertrand scampered home with the game winner. The Quebec native fooled Williams, who was covering, into thinking he would slide. Bertrand then deftly tiptoed around the tag and to the plate. 

It was fitting that Bailey be at bat. The Webster shortstop finished the game 3-5 with two stolen bases and an RBI. Still the Webster native needed redemption. 

Brockport took a two-run lead in the third. Khyle Dimino (SUNY Cortland) and Andrew Femath (Texas Lutheran) led with back-to-back free passes from Webster starter, Scott Brothers (Ball State). Reid Rooney (Central Michigan) and David Ciocchi (Binghamton) plated the runs with RBI singles. 

Webster tied the score in the bottom of the frame. Edwards singled to lead the home half, and Mike Walraven (Hofstra) walked. After a double steal, Bailey and Dominic Catanzarite (Ball State) delivered with singles. Catanzarite’s hit and RBI were the first of his Webster career. 

Brockport responded in the fourth with a run and could have tacked on several more had it not been for the fine defense of Bailey, Thomas Kufel (Mercyhurst), and Matt Jacobs (Umass-Lowell). Ryan Nokelby (Texas Lutheran) walked to start the rally. Kufel then went to his knees to take away a hit from Kevin Johnson (St. Augustine’s). With Nokelby on second, Bailey dove behind the bag and robbed Bishop of a hit. 

Wells then singled and stole second. Dimino followed with a blast to deep center that Jacobs made a spectacular play on. The center fielder turned on a dead sprint and with his back to the plate, leaped and made the over the shoulder catch to end the inning. 

Webster tied the score in the sixth. Nate Koontz (Ball State) tripled to deep center and scored one-out later on Bertrand’s single. In the seventh, Koontz displayed his own defensive prowess taking away extra bases when a Wells drive seemed destined for the gap in left center. 

Once again, Edwards and Walraven sparked the home nine. This time in the ninth. Edwards walked to lead. Walraven followed with a perfectly placed, opposite field, hit and run single to put men on the corners. Walraven moved to second on Soldi ground ball. Both scored on an ensuing wild pitch. 

Every thing looked right for a Yankee victory – a two-run lead, great defense, and Bryant Guilmette (Umass-Lowell) on in relief. Then three Yankee errors led to two Riverbat runs and a 5-5 tie. Unfortunately, Bailey was charged with one of the miscues – a mere blemish in an otherwise outstanding performance. 

Tyler Scott (Toledo) worked the eleventh for his second win of the campaign. Webster improved to 9-3 with the win. 

Pickin’ Splinters