By SPENCER BATES
SALAMANCA — In a packed New York Collegiate Baseball League (NYCBL) West Division, margins of error are extremely slim.
So much so that one swing of the bat can change so much.
The Salamanca Lizards are well aware of that after suffering a 1-0 loss to the Dansville Gliders. A defeat highlighted by a ninth-inning home run.
“I think there’s only been one game this year where we can say that we just got beat really badly,” Lizards assistant coach Brandon Higley said. “A lot of games come down to one player, one pitch, just like tonight. One mistaken pitch got hit over the wall, and that’s the game for you, right there.”
The Lizards had a lot going for them on the night, all starting with the stellar, seven-inning performance they got out of starting pitcher Aidan Gruber (4 SO, 1 BB).
Blanking the Gliders and conceding just four hits during his time on the bump, Gruber continued the streak of excellent pitching Salamanca has got as of late.
“(Aidan) was unbelievable,” Higley said. “Whenever you’re able to mix two, three pitches wherever you want to throw them, it’s going to be tough for the other team. Shout out to Gavin (Lasko), our catcher, for calling a great game and Aidan for being able to execute. They both did a great job.”
But striking out only four batters meant that Gruber, in order to keep his outing clean, needed his defense to come up big behind him. Luckily, that is exactly what he got.
After the Lizards’ 11-6 loss to the Hornell Steamers the previous day, in which they tallied seven errors, head coach Jerico Weitzel noted that the defensive effort was not at the level he knows his side to be capable of. In the wake of the defeat, he challenged his players to not let that become the norm and to respond in a big way entering the weekend.
His team did not let him down.
“That was probably our cleanest defensive game all year,” Higley said. “We had the one pickoff that got thrown away, but we battled out of that with some nice defensive plays. I thought we attacked the baseball with aggression. I thought everyone was in the places they were supposed to be, making the right plays IQ-wise and physically. I’m really happy that we stepped up on defense tonight.”
So, with the pitching and defense boxes checked off, all that the Lizards needed to complete the trifecta of success was offense. But, it was not just the hosts’ pitchers that found themselves having a great day on the mound.
Dansville’s starter Nolan Currier had himself a day, blanking Salamanca through 6.2 frames behind 10 strikeouts and just four walks. And the pitching success carried over from starter to relievers as Blake Butt (2 SO, 1 BB) and Brock Bullinger (2 SO, 1 BB) continued to hold the home side scoreless.
“(Currier) was mixing really well,” Higley said. “He was trying to get ahead with his fastball, dotting them on the corners, and the slider was unbelievable. He was putting everybody away with that pitch. … It was just a pitcher’s night for both sides.”
Salamanca’s Gabe Roth (4) connects on a pitch. (Spencer Bates)
Through eight innings, the affair was a true war of attrition. Both sides were dealing on the mound and neither were able to find an answer at the plate.
That was until the top of the ninth inning.
With an extra frame looming, Lizards relief pitcher Nate Tyler (2 SO, 1 BB) was just two outs away from handing the baton back over to his offense. Unfortunately, one misplaced pitch was all the opportunity Dansville’s Justin Colpack (1-for-4, run, RBI) needed to change the game in his team’s favor. Sending a ball far beyond the left field fence, Colpack put the scoreboard operator to work for the first time with a solo home run.
Tyler was able to secure outs on the next two Gliders’ batters, but the damage was already done. Now, instead of needing just a run to secure a victory in walk-off fashion, a Salamanca offense that had just three hits all day, needed two.
But there was a glimmer of hope. Behind a Gavin Lasko walk, a passed ball and sacrifice single from Lucas Marsh, the tying run was just 90 feet away. However, that run, represented by pinch runner Dylan Kinney, wound up being stranded as Frank Kula (1-for-5) struck out swinging for the final out of the game.
For the Lizards, it is their third defeat in a row, a result that moved their record to 8-12-3 on the season. They will have their next chance to get back to winning ways on July 6 as they are set to face the Rochester Ridgemen in a doubleheader away from home. The first game of the day is set to begin at 2 p.m. with the second game slated for a 5 p.m. start.
AT SALAMANCA
Dansville 000 000 001 R:1 H:5 E:0
Salamanca 000 000 000 R:0 H:3 E:1
Dans: Currier (10 SO, 4 BB), Butt (2 SO, 1 BB), Bullinger (2 SO, 1 BB) and Garrett
Sala: Gruber (4 SO, 1 BB), Tyler (2 SO, 1 BB) and Lasko
