Syracuse drops Saturday affair at Columbus, 10-1

 

COLUMBUS, OH – The Columbus Clippers continued their week-long scoring binge, plating 10 more runs in a 10-1 win over the Syracuse Mets on Saturday at Huntington Park. The Clippers have won the first five games of the six-game series, scoring 46 combined runs in the process.   

  

Columbus (8-3) scored early and often on Saturday, plating at least a run in each of the game’s first five innings. The Clippers got ahead right away with a three-run first inning, via two different home runs. First, Gabriel Arias hit a solo blast to center field with one out. Then, after Will Benson was hit by a pitch and an Oscar Gonzalez flyout, Alex Call homered to left field and boosted the lead to 3-0. Call, who played collegiately at Ball State, has hit two home runs in the series.  

  

Columbus added to the lead with lone runs in the second, third, and fourth innings. A Richie Palacios RBI double brought home Gavin Collins in the second, Mitchell Tolman’s sacrifice fly brought home Benson in the third, and Ike Freeman’s solo home run in the fourth made it a 6-0 game. The Clippers scored the three combined runs in the second through fourth innings on just four total hits. Three walks and a fielding error by Syracuse helped Columbus’ scoring cause.   

  

The home team officially put the game out of reach with a four-run bottom of the fifth inning. All of the scoring came with two outs. With Tolman at second and two outs, consecutive walks to Jose Fermin and Freeman loaded the bases. Then, another walk to Palacios scored Tolman to make it a 7-0 game. Finally, a three-run double by Arias proceeded to clear the bases and make it a double-digit lead for the Clippers, 10-0. 

  

Columbus spread the wealth at the plate on Saturday. Seven of the nine Clippers starters had at least one hit, as Columbus finished the game with nine hits. Five different players drove in at least one run. By the end of the game, Columbus had racked up five extra-base hits, including three home runs. The Clippers also drew seven walks at the plate.   

  

Syracuse’s (1-9) lone run in the game came in the top of the sixth, when a two-out double from Khalil Lee drove home Carlos Rincon. Rincon had a productive day at the plate, going 2-for-4. The right-handed hitter has had at least one hit in each game of the series.     

  

Syracuse and Columbus play the final game in their six-game series on Sunday afternoon. Left-hander Mike Montgomery is slated to start for the Mets opposite Clippers right-hander Peyton Battenfield. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.