SYRACUSE – The Buffalo Bisons could not hold a late lead against the Syracuse Mets and were defeated 9-7 in 10 innings on Friday night at NBT Bank Stadium.
The Bisons struck in the first inning for the third straight day. This time, a grand slam off the bat of Tanner Morris gave Buffalo a 4-0 lead through a half inning. Nathan Lukes led off the game with a base hit, Spencer Horwitz and Orelvis Martinez all scored on the team’s fifth grand slam of the season.
Morris’ fifth homer of the season came off of Denyi Reyes. The Mets’ starter settled down to retire 14 straight Bisons batters and received a no decision in six innings of work.
Syracuse was able to chip away with two runs in the bottom of the forth inning against Herd starter Andrew Bash. Wyatt Young hit a two-run home run with one out to bring Syracuse within a pair of runs, 4-2. Bash logged four innings in his start, allowing just three hits with a strikeout for Buffalo.
The Mets tallied solo runs in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively, to tie the game 4-4. Brandon McIlwain’s solo homer in the bottom of the seventh tied the game an inning after Carlos Cortes’ RBI double trimmed the deficit to a run.
Jamie Ritchie led off the top of the ninth with a double and scored one of the two Bisons runs to re-gain the lead. Rafael Lantigua’s first base hit of the night was a two-run double scoring Ritchie and Mason McCoy for a 6-4 lead. The two RBIs helped Lantigua move into a tie for the team lead with 68.
Syracuse answered right back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings tied 6-6.
Ritchie’s sacrifice fly off of William Woods in the top of the 10th frame scored the automatic baserunner Martinez, giving the Bisons a 7-6 lead. However, the Mets promptly scored on an RBI base hit by Young to tie the game 7-7. McIlwain’s second home run of the night was a two-run shot off of Brandon Eisert to win the game for Syracuse 9-7.
The two teams will meet on Saturday night for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch. The season series will close out on Sunday afternoon, as well.
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