Voth And Late Power-Up Allow Chiefs To Best Bisons

Story by Mike Drew

Photos by Mike Drew and Newhouse Sports Media Center Staff


SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A sun-splashed summer night at NBT Bank Stadium. His 21^st start of the season. His team needing a spark after losing the second game of a doubleheader Tuesday night. This was Austin Voth’s moment, and he owned it. 

The 24-year old right hander dazzled the Buffalo Bisons Wednesday night, leading to a 6-1 Syracuse victory. Voth pitched seven strong innings, yielding only one earned run and collected his sixth win of the season. 

Voth was not available after the game but his manager, Billy Gardner, Jr., said the Redmond, Wash. native delivered exactly what his team needed on the mound. 

“His command was real good,” he said. “He used his fastball really well. In and out. Up and down. Mixed in his breaking ball. He’s a very good competitor and he’s done a good job of keeping us in the game.”

Help comes early

Offensively, Voth was staked to an early 1-0 lead in the third inning. Highly touted center fielder Michael Taylor roped a ball off the top of Buffalo center-fielder Dalton Pompey’s glove for a single. Zach Collier, who led off the inning with a walk, scored from second base. 

Limiting the damage

Buffalo starter Scott Copeland did his best to keep the Chiefs hitters at bay in the middle innings. He retired six out of seven batters in the fourth and fifth innings, providing his teammates with the opportunity to swing momentum in their direction. That’s exactly what they did in the top of the sixth inning. 

In the only real trouble Voth faced all night, the Bisons’ number three and four hitters, Matt Dominguez (3-3, three singles and a walk) and Jesus Montero (2-3, two singles), both punched singles into the outfield to begin the frame. 

Then, following a 5-4-3 double play, right fielder Junior Lake beat out an infield single to second base. Christopher Bostick managed to get to the ball for the Chiefs, but his throw to first base was just late. Dominguez scored and the game was knotted at 1-1.

Gone in a flash

The bottom of the sixth inning proved to be the turning point of the game. After Taylor lined out to center, third baseman Matt Skole stepped to the plate to face Chad Girodo, a left handed reliever summoned by Buffalo manager Gary Allenson for this specific matchup. 

“I knew he was going to try and throw something soft to get me to chase,” Skole said. “But, he made a mistake.” 

Did he ever. Skole crushed a solo home run well over the right field fence to give the Chiefs the lead again at 2-1.

Adding on

They never looked back. Left fielder Matt den Dekker added an RBI double in the inning to extend the lead to 3-1. Shortstop Jason Martinson tacked on a two-run double in the seventh off of right hander Matt Dermody. 

Then, first baseman Caleb Ramsey capped off the night’s scoring by scorching a line drive home run to right against right hander Bobby Korecky in the eighth to make it a 6-1 game.

What's next

The Chiefs and Bisons will meet once more on Thursday night to conclude the four-game series. The Chiefs will attempt to win three out of four games in the series.

 "It's a game of adjustments," Gardner said. "And I see our guys right now making those."

With the win, the Chiefs improved to 50-61 on the season, while the Bisons fell to .500 at 56-56.