Salina Finds Groove Coming Out of the Bullpen for Monroe CC

Story By Paul Gotham (Pickin' Splinters)

HENRIETTA, N.Y. -- Matthew Salina (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) saw little time on the mound during his senior season in high school. In a Webster Schroeder lineup with his brother Michael, currently pitching at George Mason University, and LeMoyne College commit Jack Cannon (among others), Salina made the bulk of his contributions at the plate and in the field for the Class A1 finalist, Warriors.

His appearances on the mound amounted to "a few innings, four or five maybe."

Those outings usually saw the right-hander get the ball to start an inning and not have to worry about inherited runners.

After his last two trips to the hill for Monroe Community College, including 2.2 scoreless innings on Tuesday, Salina's role may be changing.

"He's got a live arm," MCC head coach Dave Brust said. "Over the course of five to six months he's really cleaned up his mechanics. He's getting more opportunities and more reps on the mound. Every time he's out there, he gets a little better."

Salina entered Game 2 of Tuesday's doubleheader with one out in the fifth and five runs in. He got the final two outs of the frame and worked clean frames in the sixth and seventh retiring the final eight batters he faced.

"I'm just throwing strikes letting my defense be themselves," he said. "We have a good defense. I trust them to make plays."

Last Friday, Salina came out of the bullpen in the sixth with runners on the corners, and Monroe trailing 3-1. He struck out the first batter he faced and induced an infield pop-up to end the threat.

"I felt like I needed to throw a couple sliders to get them out. I did. It put us in a good position to win. Our bats got going late."

He didn't allow a ball out of the infield in a clean seventh, and the Tribs rallied for a doubleheader sweep.

Over his last two outings, he has set down 13 of 15 batters faced.

"Everybody reaches their potential at different speeds," Brust said of Salina growing into his role on the mound. "He is just starting to blossom, but he's getting the opportunities. That's the beauty of junior college baseball and our program. Come here and get better. You get opportunities."

Salina's outing on Tuesday was the bright spot in an overall dim performance for Monroe which dropped a pair to Niagara County Community College (0-11/4-7).

Tobey Wright (Henrietta, N.Y/Rush-Henrietta) and Dylan Wanat (Buffalo, N.Y./Williamsville North) collected two hits apiece in Game 2. The two connected on back-to-back singles in the first, and Connor Sackett (Rochester, N.Y./Fairport) gave MCC a 1-0 lead with a base hit through the box.

Wanat drove in Wright with a one-out triple in the fifth inning and later scored on a wild pitch.

Joe Grzeskowiak (Henrietta, N.Y./Rush-Henrietta) collected an RBI with a sacrifice fly in the fourth that scored Lucas Brown (Toronto, ON/Humberside Collegiate Institute).

Brown and Julien Mendoza (Brampton, ON/Heart Lake) both worked a pair of walks in the game.

Ryan Stewart (Auburn, N.Y./Auburn High) started and struck out three over three and a third innings of work. The left-hander allowed one run on three hits and a walk.

Matthew Procopio (Horseheads, N.Y./Horseheads High) paced the Niagara County CC offense with a fifth-inning grand slam off the foul pole in left field.

Niagara County CC's Ryan Birchard (Auburn, N.Y./Auburn High) fanned 12 over five shutout innings in Game 1.

Grzeskowiak, Avery Bowens (Rochester, N.Y.) and Patrick May (C.W. Bakers/Baldwinsville) had a hit apiece in the loss. CJ Phelps (Rochester, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit) and Alex Simons (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) both reached via a walk.

Monroe (3-7) will host a doubleheader with Erie Community College on Thursday. A 1 p.m. first pitch is scheduled for Game 1 at Tribune Field.