Doyle-Miller, Osterhout Lead Spartans Over Timberwolves
Dominant starting pitching led the Cayuga Community College Spartans Baseball Team to their first wins of the 2021 season Saturday in a home doubleheader against SUNY Adirondack.
Starting pitchers Austin Doyle-Miller and Greg Osterhout stifled the Timberwolves' bats in both contests, leading the Spartans to 4-2 and 1-0 wins, respectively. The wins brought Cayuga to a 2-6 record on the season.
"We made some adjustments in our mental approach to the games today, and I think it showed in our defense and intensity. But it started with our starting pitching, with Austin throwing a strong first game and Greg continuing that approach in the second game," said Cayuga Coach TJ Gamba. "They set the tone for us today, and our defense made enough plays behind them to get both wins."
The first contest started slow for Cayuga, as the Timberwolves pushed two unearned runs across in the top of the first inning. The Spartans knotted the score in the bottom of the first with a leadoff walk by Alex Wurster, a double by Tyler Ziemak and a one-out single by Sam Jenkins.
The Spartans took the lead for good in the bottom of the third, with Jenkins driving in Ziemak with a sacrifice fly, and tacked on another run in the fourth. That was all the help Doyle-Miller would need, as he threw 5 2/3 innings, allowing only three hits and striking out six. Andrew Roy and Zach Nickerson combined to hold the Timberwolves scoreless the rest of the way.
The second game ran scoreless into the 10th inning, with Osterhout and the Timberwolves' Terel Tillman matching zero-for-zero on the scoreboard. Both pitchers went the distance, but Cayuga's Brendan Williams drove-in Wurster with a two-out infield single to complete the sweep for the Spartans.
Osterhout scattered five hits, walked none and struck out five in the shutout victory. Catcher Andrew Boglione was two-for-four with two doubles, and Hazel Martinez was two-for-four with a double.
The Spartans will play the Timberwolves again Sunday, March 28, this time on the road at SUNY Adirondack. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.