Geneva Red Wings News & Notes

The Geneva Red Wings scored 13 runs in the final four innings to come from behind and defeat the Sherrill Silversmiths of the Eastern Collegiate Baseball League (ECBL) 18-8 in an exhibition game on Tuesday at McDonough Park.

Left fielder Dan Gliot (Oakland University) and first baseman Travis Capps (University of Indianapolis) each hit home runs and several other players either drove in runs or scored.

The Wings took a 5-0 lead into the fourth, which proved to be the only inning the Silversmiths could hold them scoreless. Starter Casey Rana (UT-Permian Basin) meanwhile, threw five and one-third innings, allowing six runs and striking out four.

Designated hitter Ryan Waldhart (Oakland University) led off the Red Wings sixth with a base hit, and two batters later catcher Hayden Chick (UT-Tyler) drew a walk. Gliot came up next and with a full count hit a deep fly ball into left field that just cleared the wall for a three run homer.

It was the first home run of the year for the Wings at McDonough Park.

The next inning Capps took an off-speed pitch and drilled it into the same place for a solo home run. Geneva went on to score two more runs in the seventh.

Relief pitcher William Hebard (Villanova University) pitched one and two-thirds innings and got the win. Dave Christoffersen (Stetson University) pitched the eighth and ninth, striking out three and ending the game with a 1-2-3 inning.

The stats from the exhibition game will not count towards the season totals.

The Red Wings continue NYCBL play tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. at home against the Niagara Power.

The potent Geneva Red Wings offense that put up 12 runs against the Niagara Power on Saturday ran into a brick wall named A.J. Dusablon on Sunday. Dusablon had a no-hitter through six innings, and guided the Allegany County Nitros to a 4-1 win over the Red Wings at McDonough Park.

Both Dusablon and Red Wings lefty pitcher Ryan Anderson (St. Petersburg College) got off to strong starts. Anderson pitched four scoreless innings before allowing a run in both the fifth and sixth. He also had six strikeouts on the day.

The Red Wings got base runners in each of the first four innings on walks, but only designated hitter Jack Wortley (UT-Permian Basin) got into scoring position. That occurred on a wild pitch by Dusablon in the first, but then a groundout by first baseman Dan Pembroke (Dowling College) ended the inning.

Allegany County took a 1-0 lead in the fifth on an RBI single by Martin Gordan that scored right fielder Matt Kirchner.
Anderson then allowed back-to-back singles to start the sixth. Even though he got the next batter, shortstop Damon Arnold, to strike out swinging, catcher Paul Panik followed with an RBI single.

Manager Dave Herbst subsequently went to his bullpen and right hander Jared Fisher (Quincy University). Fisher got the next two batters out, but the seventh would be a different story.

Fisher gave up walks to Martin Gordan (CF) and Patrick Sapp (2B), and then third baseman Sam McGill moved them both over one base with a sacrifice bunt.

After a strikeout by designated hitter Billy Ribeiro, first baseman Vincent Malzhan hit a single into deep right-centerfield that drove in both runners and put the Nitros up 4-0.

The Red Wings broke Dusablon’s no-hitter and cut into the Nitros lead in the bottom of the seventh. Pembroke hit a leadoff double and third baseman Will Harford (University of Notre Dame) followed with a single.

Two batters later, catcher Ryan Waldhart (Oakland University) walked to load the bases. Shortstop Chris Dudics (University of Toledo) came up next and hit a sacrifice fly to center that scored Pembroke.

Second baseman Gordy LaHann nearly extended the inning for the Red Wings as he hit a sharp grounder. A terrific defensive play by Sapp kept it in the infield though, and the subsequent throw to home plate got Harford out by a wide margin to end the inning.

The Red Wings led off the ninth with singles by Pembroke and Harford. Manager Dave Herbst used pinch runners for both of them (Mike Blanchard of Austin Peay University and Tommy Chase of Notre Dame, respectively).

Unfortunately they were unable to take advantage of the added speed on the base paths, as left fielder Travis Capps (University of Indianapolis) grounded into a 1-6-3 double play. Two batters later, Dudics grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the game.

The loss drops the Red Wings to 2-1, while the Nitros improve to 4-1.

Geneva’s next game is an exhibition doubleheader against the Sherrill Silversmiths of the Eastern Collegiate Baseball League on Tuesday starting at 5 p.m. at McDonough Park.

A three run eighth inning thanks to four walks and a hit by pitch gave the Geneva Red Wings a thrilling 8-5 victory over the Elmira Pioneers on Friday night in their regular season and home opener at McDonough Park.
Elmira got off to a fast start, scoring three runs in the first inning off of Wings starter Brian Thompson (Quincy University). The Pioneers got three consecutive singles and one run from the top of their order, and then first baseman Mike Tirri hit a two RBI single.
Thompson settled down nicely in the second though, and went on to pitch four more scoreless innings. At the plate, the Red Wings tied the game at three in the bottom of the second.
Right fielder Jack Wortley (UT-Permian Basin) got a one out single and third baseman Will Harford (University of Notre Dame) followed with a walk. Then catcher Eddie Bleiler (College of the Holy Cross) ripped an RBI double on the first pitch he saw. Left fielder Mike Blanchard (Austin Peay University) drove in Harford with an RBI sacrifice fly.
Two batters later, centerfielder Brendan McCrea (Holy Cross) hit his first of two RBI doubles.
The Red Wings added two more runs in the fourth as second baseman Tommy Chase got an RBI sacrifice fly, scoring Harford, and McCrea hit his second RBI double.
Elmira cut its deficit to one in the sixth and then tied it at five in the top of the eighth.
Pioneer relief pitcher Michael Franza threw a perfect seventh inning, but things began to unravel for him when Bleiler led off the eighth with a walk and advanced to second when Blanchard got hit by a pitch.
Second baseman Tommy Chase (Notre Dame) then moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Franza opted to intentionally walk McCrea to load the bases and face shortstop Jon Clinard, who had not gotten a hit up to that point.
But the move backfired for the Pioneers, as Franza walked Clinard on four pitches, scoring pinch runner Jeff Cola (University of Toledo). Designated hitter Gordy LaHann (UT-Permian Basin) drew yet another walk, bringing home Blanchard.
McCrea came around to score the third run of the inning when first baseman Dan Pembroke (Dowling College) hit a fielder’s choice to second base.
With a solid 8-5 lead, closer Ryan Kassab (Long Island University) came in to pitch the ninth. He gave up a walk and a base hit before forcing Jamieson to ground into a game ending 6-4-3 double play.
Reliever Kyle Shaw (University of Toledo) got the win for Geneva and Kassab picked up the save. Meanwhile for Elmira, Franza was tagged with the loss.
The Red Wings are 1-0 and play the Niagara Power on the road on Saturday before coming back home to play the Allegany County Nitros on Sunday afternoon at 5 p.m.

Tonight’s regular season and home opener against the Allegany County Nitros has been postponed due to rain. It is rescheduled for June 29th, a mutual off-day for both clubs.
The Red Wings first regular season game at McDonough Park will be tomorrow night against the Elmira Pioneers at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets to all Wings home games are just $2. If you cannot make it out to the McDonough, be sure to tune in to the action either 105.7 WHWS-FM or Teamline on www.genevaredwings.com.