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Syracuse, N.Y. — Behind a high-powered offense and a gem from starting pitcher Brandon Sproat, the Syracuse Mets beat the Buffalo Bisons 18-0 on Friday at NBT Bank Stadium.
Syracuse had a season-high 17 hits and went 11-for-18 with runners in scoring position. Meanwhile, Sproat pitched six scoreless innings.
Both sides went scoreless in the first two frames before Syracuse scored in the bottom of the third inning.
It started with back-to-back singles by Luke Ritter and Travis Swaggerty, followed by a Yonny Hernandez sacrifice bunt that moved the runners into scoring position. The next batter, Gilberto Celestino, ripped a two-run single that gave the Mets a 2-0 lead.
There were two quick outs to start the fourth inning, before a Syracuse rally ignited. Ritter singled, Swaggerty walked, and Hernandez hit an RBI single to put the Mets in front, 3-0.
In the bottom of the fifth, Buffalo starter Spencer Turnbull quickly recorded two outs, but the Syracuse offense sparked again. With Jon Singleton at second base after a fielder’s choice and a passed ball, Donovan Walton singled.
Hayden Senger slapped an RBI single up the middle to score Singleton and stretch the lead to 4-0. Next, Ritter hit a run-scoring double to put the Mets ahead 5-0. To continue the two-out rally, Swaggerty smacked a two-run double to extend the advantage to 7-0.
The offensive surge didn’t stop in the fifth. Syracuse tacked on six more runs in the seventh inning, headlined by a Singleton home run and a Drew Gilbert grand slam. The six-run outburst gave the Mets a 13-0 lead.
In the eighth, the offense didn’t slow down on route to five more runs. With the bases loaded, Ritter walked to make it 14-0. RBI singles from Swaggerty, Hernandez, and Celestino stretched the lead to 17-0. One more run scored on a double play to give Syracuse an 18-0 lead.
The 18-run advantage was certainly enough thanks to a dominant pitching performance by the Syracuse staff.
Sproat pitched six scoreless innings, tying his longest outing of the season. The right-hander allowed five hits, two walks and struck out four batters.
Out of the bullpen, Max Kranick tossed one and two-thirds innings without allowing a walk and striking out three batters. Anthony Gose finished the job with four outs.
Syracuse (29-32) continues its series with Buffalo (24-35) on Saturday night. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
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