Syracuse NY – The Cortland Crush fell in heartbreaking fashion to the Syracuse Salt Cats by a final score of 4-2 at OCC. Hits were hard to come by all day long as both teams were held to just six a piece. 

Syracuse scored first in the bottom of the first inning and they would hold onto that lead until the top of the sixth inning. Ryne McKinney was hit by a pitch with two outs and Thomas Woodridge was brought in as a pinch runner. 

A pair of wild pitches allowed Woodridge to stand on third base with Jake Freed batting. Freed would then hit a weak ground ball down the third base line and would beat out the throw to first allowing Woodridge to score and tie the game. 

The Crush would score again in the top of the eighth inning to take their first lead of the ballgame. Thomas Woodridge would reach base with a single and advance to second on a ground out from Jake Freed. 

Woodridge would go to third on another ground out and would score after Carson Molinaroli beat out a throw to first base. Syracuse would respond with a three run inning in the bottom of the eighth and that proved to be the deciding factor. 

Cortland’s starting pitcher Joseph Derienzo was phenomenal on the mound pitching innings giving up just one run on five hits and struck out 7 batters in his outing today. 

Cortland is back at home again tomorrow for a 6:00 game against the visiting Rochester Ridgemen.