Pilots split double-header with Watertown

It was a tale of two different games, one a high-scoring affair and the other a pitcher’s duel. The Newark Pilots took on the Watertown Rams at the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds in Watertown for a double-header. The Pilots won game one, 18-7, while the Rams took game two, 1-0. Steven Powles (St. Joseph’s) picked up the win in game one for Newark and Corbin Powers (Bellevue) got his first win of the season for Watertown in game two. Game One: After a scoreless two innings, the Newark Pilots jumped on the board with two runs in the top of the third inning on a Luis Silverio (Palm Beach State) two-run home run. The Pilots scored two more in the fourth inning on a Zach Wall (Young Harris) two-run home run. Two more runs came across in the top of the fifth as Samm Wiggins (Houston Baptist) and Wyatt Padgett (BYU) brought home runs with RBI singles. The Rams pulled within two with a four-run fifth inning. Brandon Mikulka (Creighton) walked with the bases loaded to bring home a run, Josh Hassell (Holy Cross) reached on a fielder’s choice to score another, and Dominic Lopez (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) doubled home two more to put up a four-spot in the inning. A bases-loaded walk and an error by Shane Dressler (VCU) made it 9-4 Newark after six innings of play. The straw that broke the camel’s back came in the top of the seventh inning. The Pilots erupted for nine runs on seven hits to make it 18-4. The play-by-play says it all: NEWARK PILOTS 7th – Martin to p for Simmons. Wall singled to third base. Wall advanced to second on a wild pitch. Gerstenmaier walked. Gerstenmaier advanced to second on a wild pitch; Wall advanced to third on a wild pitch. Wilkes walked. Reed hit by pitch, RBI; Wilkes advanced to second; Gerstenmaier advanced to third; Wall scored. Hartnett to p for Martin. Giesel singled to right field, RBI; Reed advanced to second; Wilkes advanced to third; Gerstenmaier scored. Lewis singled down the lf line, advanced to second, 2 RBI; Giesel advanced to third; Reed scored; Wilkes scored. Wiggins popped up to 2b. Lewis advanced to third on a wild pitch; Giesel scored on a wild pitch. Padgett walked. Hairston singled to right field, RBI; Padgett advanced to second; Lewis scored. Wall tripled, 2 RBI; Hairston scored; Padgett scored. Gerstenmaier singled to left field, RBI; Wall scored. Wilkes struck out looking. Reed singled to center field; Gerstenmaier advanced to second. Giesel flied out to cf. 9 runs, 7 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB. Watertown scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning on a Joe Deluca (Niagara County CC) three-run home run, but it wasn’t enough as the Rams lost game one, 18-7. Game Two The complete opposite of game one. After the two teams combined for 25 runs on 24 hits in game one of the double-header, Newark and Watertown scored just one run on five hits in game two, which Watertown won 1-0 to split the double-header. Matt Diorio (UCF) hit a double down the left field line on the first pitch of the bottom of the fourth inning and advanced to third on a Dominic Lopez sacrifice bunt. Joe Ogren (Bucknell) hit the first pitch he saw hard and right at the shortstop Tanner Giesel (Southeastern CC), but the ball went through the legs of the shortstop and into left field as Diorio crossed home plate and the Rams were on the board. It would be the only run for both teams, as Corbin Powers and Jayson Yano (Stevens) struck out a combined fourteen batters in the game. Powers picked up the win and Yano the loss, despite the run being unearned. Jon Escobar (Holy Cross) picked up his second save in as many nights to preserve the win for Watertown. Watertown is off on Tuesday before hosting the Elmira Pioneers at the Fairgrounds on Wednesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Newark plays host to the struggling Adirondack Trail Blazers at Colburn Park on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.