Webster Yankees Pound The Niagara Power

For now, there appears to be no slowing the Webster Yankee bus. 

Three pitchers combined to hold Niagara to six hits and one run while Steve Muoio, from Georgia C&S, led a 13-hit attack as the pinstripes pounded the Power 8-1 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action, Wednesday night. 

Muoio’s two-out single in the first scored Geoff Dornes, from R.I.T., from second and gave the Yanks an early lead. Dornes reached second when his fly ball was mishandled in center field. 

However, Niagara countered in the second. Jacan Warren, of Mississippi College, led with a double into left center-field gap. One out later Bobby Harper, who is from Penn St. Brandywine, delivered with a check swing ground ball to the right side of the infield. 

That is as close as Niagara would come. 

Mike Walraven, from Hofstra, led the bottom of the frame with a double. Matt Jacobs, of UMass-Lowell, followed and was hit by a pitch. Both moved up on a balk. Shawn Bailey, from SUNY Cortland, plated Walraven with a bunt single. Jacobs moved to third on the play and scored, when Bailey stole second, and the throw eluded the Andrew Ahrendt, from Augustana, covering the bag. 

Webster put the game out of reach in the fourth when the first four batters rapped hits. Again, Walraven led—this time with a single. Jacobs followed with a hit and run single that scored Walraven. Chriss Soldi, from UMass-Lowell, doubled scoring Jacobs. Jason Edwards, out of the Toledo camp, added another run with a double of his own. Two outs later Muoio brought home Edwards with Webster’s third double of the stanza. 

In the sixth, the Yankees added one last run. Bailey rapped a one-out single, stole second, and scored on a base hit by Dominic Catanzarite, who is from Ball State. 

Meanwhile, Lincon Rassi, who is also from Toledo, mowed down the Niagara line-up. The right-hander surrendered three hits and one run while striking out four. Rassi is now 3-0 on the campaign. 

Scott Brothers, from Ball State, came out of the bullpen for the first time this season. The native of Monticello, Indiana struck out three of the seven batters he faced while allowing one hit. 

Bryant Guilmette, another player from UMass-Lowell, worked the ninth fanning a pair of would-be Power hitters. 

Muoio finished 4-4 with a double and two RBI. Walraven went 3-4 with two runs scored.

The win is Webster’s third consecutive and six in the last seven games. The pinstripes improved to 12-4 to strengthen their lead in the NYCBL West Division. 

Webster hosts Geneva Thursday night. First pitch is set for 7:00pm at Basket Road Field. 

Pickin' Splinters