Wings beat Pioneers, but are down two starters tonight
Elmira Pioneers starter Corey Pappel surrendered six runs in three innings to the Geneva Red Wings, as the they cruised to an 9-4 victory last night at McDonough Park.
Pappel, Elmira’s top pitcher, also walked eight Red Wings in his short outing. His problems began right from the start when centerfielder Brendan McCrea (College of the Holy Cross) drew a lead off walk. Left fielder Jeff Cola (University of Toledo) followed with a double to put runners in scoring position with no outs.
Third baseman Will Harford (University of Notre Dame) and designated hitter Jack Wortley (UT-Permian Basin) drove in McCrea and Cola with an RBI ground out and an RBI single, respectively to take a 2-0 lead.
The Wings doubled their lead the next inning. Right fielder Mike Blanchard (Austin-Peay University) drew a one out walk and scored on an RBI single by Cola. A walk to Harford loaded the bases. Two batters later first baseman Dan Pembroke (Dowling College) got a four pitch walk to score McCrea who also walked earlier in the inning.
McCrea walked in his first three at-bats.
Cola went 3-for-3 against Pappel with an RBI double in the third, scoring Blanchard for the second time.
Wings starter Casey Rana (UT-Permian Basin) entered the fourth with a comfortable 5-0 lead, but the Pioneers cut their deficit to one by tacking on four runs of their own.
Rana gave up back-to-back walks to begin the inning. A bloop single by Pioneer right fielder Mike Torello resulted in an out at second base when left fielder Ryan Ferguson went back to first in anticipation of a fly ball out. Instead, the Wings got Ferguson out on the force play.
A walk to first baseman Ken Wright loaded the bases, and brought up third baseman Michael Hartz who crushed a three RBI double into deep right-centerfield. Centerfielder Dan Mauriello followed with another RBI double to make it 5-4 Wings.
After a rough inning, Rana went on to pitch scoreless fifth and sixth innings and get the win. He struck out five Pioneers, including three of the last four he faced.
Elmira reliever Brian Loconsole held the Wings at bay in the fourth and fifth, but allowed two runs in the bottom of the sixth.
With Cola at second and Harford at first, Pembroke hit an RBI single up the middle, scoring Cola. Harford made it all the way to third when Mauriello committed an error when trying to pick the ball up.
Harford then scored on an RBI sacrifice fly by second baseman Ryan Waldhart.
The Wings scored another pair of runs in the eighth off of Alek Brown to give added insurance to closer Ryan Kassab (Long Island University). Kassab allowed two base runners in the ninth, but benefitted from a double play and then got second baseman J.J. Edwards to fly out for the last out.
NOTES: Rana, second baseman Gordy LaHann (UT-Permian Basin) and shortstop Jon Clinard (Austin-Peay University) all got ejected. LaHann and Clinard must sit out tonight’s game against Niagara Falls. Reliever Will Hebard (Villanova University) pitched the seventh and eighth innings, getting three strikeouts.