Cortland Standard .net

SHERRILL — Still searching for a hit heading into the top of the seventh in Monday afternoon’s New York Collegiate Baseball League outing, Zephan Kash sparked a late-inning Cortland Crush revival.
A current Mansfield University senior and former Homer Central slugger, Kash broke up pitcher Thomas Bond’s no-hit bid with a seventh inning home run and added an eighth inning RBI single as the Crush came up with a 3-2 victory over the struggling Sherrill Silversmiths.
“It was pretty big for my teammates,” said Kash of his home run that snapped a scoreless standoff. “Somebody had to get it done so I went up there with a little extra grit. I knew I had to get myself into a good count to get a better opportunity. I got up 2-0 and got my pitch. It just happened.”
It was the fourth straight victory for Cortland, as the Crush are now 5-6 and will seek a four-game series sweep by returning to Sherrill’s Noyes Park Wednesday afternoon for a 5 p.m. start.
The Silversmiths have dropped five straight games and sit last in the NYCBL Eastern Division at 1-9.
First baseman Kash finished 2-for-4 for a Cortland offense that struggled in the early going against Sherrill starter Bond. Pulled two outs into the eighth inning, Bond had three strikeouts and walked four Crush batters.
Southpaw starter T.J. Peterson also pitched well into the eighth inning for Cortland and picked up the win. The Florida native whiffed six batters and issued a lone walk to improve to 1-2 on the season.
“I am very pleased,” said Peterson of his four-hit performance. “I just went out there and did what I needed to do. I did my part and the defense backed me up with plays. That’s all I can ask of them.
“I had a good run on my fastball, which stayed down in the zone. I got a lot of swings and misses, or they drove the ball into the ground,” he added, Sherrill with 14 ground ball outs against Peterson. “After being off for three weeks and coming up here, I was still trying to get my feel back. Today my arm was coming through better and I had more velocity on my pitches than my first two starts.”
THIS GAME WAS a scoreless pitching duel heading into the seventh, which started with Sherrill third baseman Lenny Ortiz making a sliding grab of a hard-hit grounder by Chris Mattison to keep Bond’s no-hitter going.
That’s when first baseman Kash smacked his solo home run over the fence in right for the game’s first run. Cortland tacked on back-to-back singles by Luke Gilbert and Matt Alberino before Bond escaped further trouble.
The Cortland lead grew to 3-0 with a two-out rally in the top of the eighth.
After Crush speedster Julian Gallup was hit by a pitch, he stole second and third. Mattison drew a walk and also swiped second. A wild pitch brought Gallup home and sent Mattison to third, where he scored when Kash roped his second hit off the right field fence. Bond was pulled for reliever Will Fellows, who ended the inning with a foul pop-up.
Peterson lost his shutout bit in the bottom of the eighth.
Michael-Patrick Buckley started the Silversmith rally with a single, stealing second and advancing to third as a late throw by Crush catcher Mattison one-hopped into short centerfield. After getting a flyout, Peterson gave up a single to Ortiz as the Silversmiths pulled to within 3-1.
Cortland’s Tyler Saundry came on the relief and loaded the bases with a single by Tim Corapi. Corapi’s single was a ricochet off Saundry’s left foot which was his plant foot on his follow-through. The Niagara University sophomore stayed in the game and walked Sean Mullins. Lowndes hit a sacrifice fly that allowed pinch-runner Luke Johnson to score from third base to make the score 3-2.
Saundry got a ground ball to end the inning.
AFTER CORTLAND WENT down 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth inning, Sherrill made one last attempt to win the game.
With one out, Saundry issued back-to-back walks, putting the tying and winnings runs on base. After a first pitch-wild pitch to pinch-hitter Nick Banman, Crush manager Bill McConnell went to left-hander Adam Holowienka to finish Banman’s at bat with a lefty batter versus lefty pitcher match-up. With those runners now at second and third, Holowienka struck out Banman for the second out.
With right-handed batter Luke Johnson coming to the plate, McConnell went back to the bullpen for right-handed hurler Shawn Brody. The Howard Payne University sophomore does not have an imposing figure at 5-feet-8 inches and 190 pounds, but the Brownwood, Texas guy can throw heat. Brody used four pitches to strike out Johnson to earn his first save and give the Crush the 3-2 victory.
“T.J threw one heck of a game,” Brody said. “I was ready when I thought they might go to me. I actually threw some off-speed stuff and made sure I stayed away from the batter with my location. It worked out as I went up 0-2.
“I honestly couldn’t tell you how I generate the power I do in my pitches,” he continued. “A lot of it comes from my legs. The pitching coach my parents got for me taught me to push off with my leg and use my core. I’ve never been tall so I don’t have that blessing to get on top of the ball. I just make sure my stride is right to get the push off I need, so it’s really my legs.”
After being off today, Wednesday’s trip back to Sherrill begins a stretch of 19 games over the next 16 days for the Crush — including three doubleheaders.