By Paul Casey Gotham
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A methodical Tribune nine rallied for a double-header split in NJCAA Region III action Saturday. After falling to the Mercyhurst Northeast Saints 11-5 in the opener, Monroe Community College manufactured runs in four different innings to take the night cap 4-1.
In the second game, Brad Kaczka (Pittsford Sutherland) led the second with an infield single. Danny Mendick (Pittsford Mendon) moved the runner with a sacrifice bunt down the first base line. After a wild pitch, Zach Salvia (Pittsford Sutherland) plated Kaczka with a fly ball to right field.
One stanza later, Jalen Dennis (Aquinas) reached with a leadoff walk. Again, the home nine pushed the runner. This time Cameron Stimpson dropped the bunt. Adam Urschel (Clarence) put runners on first and third with a single to shallow center field. Game two starter, Vinnie Bomasuto (Dunkirk), went opposite to the field with a two-strike offering to score Dennis with the eventual game-winner.
The Black and Gold did not stop there.
A series of Mercyhurst miscues helped the cause in the fourth. Mendick reached when he was hit by a pitch. Salvia followed with the sacrifice before Brian Dixon (St. Jospeh’s) chopped a hard hit ball that was mishandled to put runners on the corners. Dennis followed and put the ball in play leading to an error allowing Mendick to come home.
Dennis led the sixth with a single before being replaced by a pinch runner, Eliecer Carrera (Franklin). The speedy Carrera swiped second before Bomasuto drove home his second run of the game with a single up the middle.
Mercyhurst brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh, but the the threat was extinguished when Alloco ranged behind the bag at second to take away base hit. The shortstop flipped the ball to Mendick who made a bare-handed stab behind his back for the force out.
Bomasuto hurled four shutout innings for the win. The right-hander struck out two and walked one.
Wyatt Montgomery (Mohawk) led the Saints in the opener with three home runs.
Dixon capped a five-run first as the Tribs took advantage of poor play by the Saints. The freshman catcher sent a two-out broken bat sinking line drive into left field scoring Kaczka and Salvia. Urschel started the rally reaching on an error. Mendick was hit by a pitch, and Alloco beat out a bunt for a single to load the bases. Kaczka and Salvia each earned an RBI the hard way getting hit by pitches. Alloco came home on a passed ball.
But the Saints scored in each of the first five innings for the win.
Alloco finished the afternoon 5-8 with two doubles a stolen base and a run scored.
Urschel had three hits.
Along with being hit by a pitch, Salvia walked, had a hit, two sacrifices, a run scored and two RBI.
Cody Petre (Letchworth) hurled a shutout inning in relief.
Jon Klein(Cheektowaga) allowed one run while fanning three over two innings.
MCC improves to 5-5 with the split. The Tribs host Niagara Community College on Sunday for a doubleheader. First game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.
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