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Sweep eliminates Surge from playoffs

Saranac Lake Surge catcher Tyler Hill sets up to tag out Issac Dominguez of the Road City Explorers during the top of the fourth inning in Tuesday’s second game of a doubleheader. (Enterprise photo — Lou Reuter)

SARANAC LAKE — Having to win at least one game to keep their postseason hopes alive, the Saranac Lake Surge did not have a good day in Monday’s doubleheader against the Road City Explorers.

In a battle for the fourth and final spot in the upcoming Empire Professional Baseball League playoffs, the Explorers swept the Surge by scores of 9-2 and 6-4. Both games were seven-inning affairs.

The Explorers improved to 19-14 with the two victories and clinched a trip to the postseason, while the Surge fell to 16-18 and will basically be playing for pride when they host the Explorers one more time Tuesday in the final game of the regular season for both teams.

Saranac Lake struggled in the opener against Road City starting pitcher Spencer Hereford, a 21-year-old who threw a complete-game victory against the Surge for the second time in the past month. He’s now 5-0 in and also has a no-decision in six starts.

The Surge got off to a better start in the next game, taking a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Jason Aponte rapped out a two-run single to drive in Jesse Russo and Hiroki Itakura. Russo reached base on a one-out single and Itakura followed with a double to put runners on second and third. The Surge’s next batter, Stephen Octave, walked to load the bases as Aponte stepped up to the plate.

Surge second baseman Jose Negron goes airborne to snag a throw from home plate in an attempt to pick off Road City’s Ricky Marinez, who was safe on the play. (Enterprise photo — Lou Reuter)

After seeing the Surge score twice in the bottom of the first, the Explorers got out of the inning without any more damage done, and then took the lead for good with a two-run, top of the second-inning.

Road City tacked on three more runs before Saranac Lake finally pushed two runners across the plate in the eighth when Alexander LaFayette singled in Octave and Aponte to tighten the contest at 6-4.

Saranac Lake held Road City scoreless in the top of the ninth, and then went down in order in their last-gasp, bottom-of-the-ninth final at-bat. Reliver Toby Eigner got the job done for the visitors, striking out three straight Surge batters to end the game.

Following the loss, Surge manager Ken Matsuzaka gathered his players together realizing that they’ll be on the outside looking in during the postseason.

“We missed some things, things we needed to do, and they (the Explorers) played pretty good,” Matsuzaka said.

The Surge certainly appeared to miss third baseman Daniel Dominguez and pitching ace Ricky Schafer, who both moved up to higher leagues within the past week. But Matsuzaka said in the end, that shouldn’t have made a difference down the stretch.

“Schafer is gone, Dom is gone too, but still we have talent,” Matsuzaka said. “If we did our job, we should have won these games. We missed routine plays, basic stuff.

“I told the guys we just got eliminated, but we still have a game tomorrow,” he continued. “Get good preparation, get ready for the game and show a good performance. It will be for pride.”

The Surge headed into their last series on a roll after taking four of six games from the league-leading Plattsburgh Thunderbirds. The Explorers continued their hot play and now have won seven straight after posting a five-game sweep over the last place New York Bucks before visiting Saranac Lake.

“I believe we clinched. We just one two,” Explorers manager Joey Molina said. “Our hitters came through and our pitchers pitched their hearts out for the win. We’ve been grinding all season and it paid off again today. We have one more game to go. The guys are happy and tomorrow, we can get guys in who haven’t been playing much.

“Seventh, eighth, ninth innings, the fourth-quarter, that’s who we are,” Molina added. “We’re rolling, we’re ready to play whoever. We’ve all played each other, so everyone knows who’s who. We have one more game tomorrow, we have three days off and then we’re ready for war. With the right pitching, if our hitters keep hitting, we can beat anybody. I’m not afraid of any of those teams.”

The Surge may have drawn the short end of the stick when it came to scheduling, as they faced the Bucks just once this season while Road City tangled with them 10 times. Matsuzaka, however, said in the end, it’s up to his team to get the job done.

“Still, we have a chance every game,” he said. “It’s up to us to win.”

“Our guys are young, talented players,” he added. “I had, I’m having a good year. We have one more game. Our guys are grinders. We’re going to come out tomorrow and try to win one more. Disappointed today, but yeah, it’s been a good year.”

Tuesday will be the last time fans can see the Surge at Petrova Avenue this season, with the nine-inning game slated to start at 1 p.m.

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