Spartans Split with Defending Champs Herkimer

A strong start from Will Coleman and a five-run third inning gave Cayuga Community College Baseball a home win over defending national champion Herkimer College on Thursday.

The Spartans overcame an early deficit to score a 7-3 win in the opener over the #5 Generals, but fell 2-1 in the second game. The split makes Cayuga 22-6 on the season and 18-4 in Region III competition.

"We played a good brand of baseball today. Our guys are tough and have proven to be in the conversation with any team," said Cayuga Coach John Rizzo. "I felt we were in a position to win two today, but we fell short in the second game."

Trailing in the second inning of the opener, an RBI single by Roy Glaum scored Luke Ough and knotted the score at 1-1. The Spartans broke the game open in the third, scoring on RBI singles by Ough, Bradley Soto and Caleb Delly. The 6-1 lead was more than enough for Coleman, who threw a complete game, allowing eight hits and striking out five.

Mike Norton went two-for-four with two doubles, a run and an RBI. Six different Spartans scored, with Ough scoring twice, and seven batters finished with one hit.

The second game matched Cayuga's Carson Ashby on the mound against Herkimer's Troy Butler. Herkimer again took an early lead, but Norton's RBI single in the third drew the Spartans even. Herkimer reclaimed the lead in the next half-inning, and though the Spartans threatened in the fifth, sixth and seventh, they were unable to pull even.

Ashby threw a complete game for the Spartans, striking out five and scattering eight hits. Norton, Tyler Korsky and Fernando Espinal each collected hits for Cayuga, with Delly scoring the lone run.

Cayuga is on the road Saturday, April 22, for a doubleheader against the Generals. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.