By Paul Gotham
ROCHESTER, NY – Angel Rosario (Bridgeport, CT/Bullard Havens) drilled a walkoff single plating AJ Kehlenbeck (Oakfield, NY/Oakfield-Alabama) in the bottom of the 13th inning as the Monroe Community College Tribunes (16-8/1-1) salvaged a doubleheader split (4-5/3-2) with the Onondaga Community College Lazers in NJCAA action on Tribune Field, Thursday afternoon.
Rosario’s two-out single to left center scored Kehlenbeck from third as Monroe rallied from two-down for its second double-header split of the week.
“He had a couple of opportunities to win the game,” noted Monroe head coach Mike Kelly. “He eventually got it done. He played good defense and had a couple of hits for us.”
Kehlenbeck led the 13th with an infield single. Jalen Dennis (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute) followed with a sacrifice bunt before Danny Mendick (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon) moved the runner with a ground ball to the right side of the infield. Rosario’s game-winner was his third hit of the game and fifth on the afternoon.
Dylan Sheffer (Penfield, NY/Penfield) hurled six shutout innings in relief for the win. The right-hander retired the first nine batters he faced for his second win of the season.
“Can’t be losing two on this field,” Sheffer commented. “We really weren’t expecting to lose one, but we had to come out in the second game and make our mark.”
The freshman allowed just two hits while striking out three and walking none. Sheffer did not allow a runner past second.
“The change up was working a lot today,” Sheffer explained. “I was throwing it any time I wanted, early in the count, late in the count. I got a couple of strike outs with it. Normally, I throw the deuce, but the change up was really working today.”
Cass Roberts (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua) started and worked seven strong for the home nine. After allowing a pair of runs in the first the right-hander settled down and kept Onondaga off balance retiring 10 of the last 11 batters he faced including eight straight.
“He just gives your team a chance to win,” Kelly noted. “Hiccup in the first inning, but Cass just shut their bats down.”
The Tribunes scored single runs in the fifth and sixth to tie the score.
Mendick doubled down the left field line to lead the fifth and moved to third on a fly ball by Rosario. Rayshelon Carolina (Willemstad, Curacao/St. Jozef Secondary) delivered with an RBI sacrifice fly to center.
Vinnie Bomasuto (Dunkirk,NY/Dunkirk) led the sixth with his first of two triples in the game. Angel Diaz (Humacao, PR/Geneva) brought home the game tying run with a fly ball to deep center.
The Tribs threatened in the eighth, ninth, 11th and 12th innings before pushing across the winning run.
“It would have been nice to them twice,” Kelly stated. “That second game was very important for us. We didn’t give up. We battled. Our defense didn’t give in.”
Brad Kaczka (Pittsford,NY/Pittsford-Sutherland) singled to lead the eighth and moved to second on Bomasuto’s sacrifice bunt but was stranded there. In the ninth, Kehlenbeck reached on a four-pitch walk to start the frame. Dennis moved the runner, and Rosario reached when his comebacker was mishandled. But Kehlenbeck was left 90 feet from home.
Kehlenbeck reached on a one-out single in the 11th. Dennis beat out a bunt, but the Black and Gold could not capitalize. Bomasuto lashed a two-out triple in the 12th, but did not get any further.
Sloppy play doomed the Tribs in the opener. OCC took advantage of three walks and an error to put two on the board in the first. The Lazers tacked on three more in third courtesy of another walk, an error and a passed ball.
“Game one we were very flat defensively, offensively and on the mound,” Kelly commented.
Rosario finished 5-7 on the day with a sacrifice, three RBI and a run scored.
Mendick went 4-8 with a sacrifice, two runs scored and an RBI.
Kehlenbeck had three hits in four trips with two base on balls and three runs scored.
Carolina had three hits and four RBI.
Jake Shattuck (Penfield,NY/Penfield) went 2-3 in the second game.
With the two triples, Bomasuto set a single-season school record at nine. He broke the previous mark of eight set by Justin Urschel (Clarence, NY/Clarence) in 2009.
The Tribunes split with Mercyhurst NE on Tuesday, 10-5, 11-12.
Monroe hosts Jefferson CC on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Tribune Field.
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