By Paul Gotham
North East, PA – A pair of hurlers dialed zeroes as Monroe Community College’s Tribunes (19-22/3-9) dropped two by the identical score of 1-0 to the Mercyhurst NE Saints (21-8/7-1) in WNYAC action at Philip D. Hirtzel Field, Saturday.
Jim Solano (Hinckley, OH/Padua Franciscan) and Vince Pitzulo (Wilmington, PA/Wilmington) hurled complete-game shutouts on a chilly spring day as Monroe closed regular-season conference play.
“They pitched great games,” Mercyhurst coach Dan Bertolini said. “Give a lot of credit to our defense. They made some really good plays and got us out of some jams. Two shutouts, you really can’t beat that.”
Pitzulo struck out four and allowed one hit for the game-two win.
Solano struck out four and allowed four hits. The right-hander stranded a runner on third in the sixth with a ground ball to a drawn infield and a weak fly ball.
“Jim’s a bulldog,” Bertolini said of his game one winner. “He pounds the strike zone. He commands two pitches really well. He mixed in his changeup well. He has a lot of confidence that if he gets a ground ball, we’re going to get an out. It’s easier throwing strikes when you have confidence in your D.”
The Saints walked off with the game one win against Monroe starter Blaine Farrell (Marysville, Ontario/St. Theresa). Left-handed hitting Bobby Dragon led the seventh with a dying quail which landed just inside the third baseline past the outstretched glove of a backpedaling Alex Saville (Sherrill, N.Y./Verona-Vernon-Sherrill). The inside-out swing created backspin which carried the ball into foul territory, and Dragon reached second with a double. After an intentional walk, Dragon moved to third on a fielder’s choice and eventually scored on a bases loaded walk.
Farrell allowed five hits on the day and struck out one. He threw 84 pitches on the day, 45 for strikes (eight balls were compiled issuing intentional walks).
“Being a left-hander Blaine really controlled the baserunners he had,” coach Dave Brust said. “He pitched well enough to win.”
Monroe only put two leadoff batters aboard. Ellington Hopkins (Lansing, N.Y./Lansing) started the fourth with a single back through the box, but the Mercyhurst infield wasted no time erasing the runner with a double play turned by Cam Balego (Pittsburgh, PA/Central Catholic). It was one of several fine plays turned in by the Mercyhurst shortstop.
“He made some great plays,” Bertolini commented. “He made a good play going up the middle. He made some good plays in the hole. He’s been great for us all year.”
Rayshelon Carolina (Willemstad, Curacao/St. Jozef Academy) tripled inside the right field with one out in the sixth, but the Tribunes could not capitalize. The sophomore centerfielder had two hits on the day.
Brett Sanders (Greece, N.Y./Greece Olympia) and Angel Rosario (Bridgeport, CT/Bullard Havens) worked back-to-back, two-out walks in the seventh, but the Tribs could not convert.
Cam Scalzo (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) was the tough-luck loser in game two. The sophomore right-hander retired the first six he faced and struck out three for the game, but a leadoff walk in the sixth to Austin Alonge (Westfield, N.Y./Westfield) proved the difference.
Tyler Ocker (Chambersburg, PA/Chambersburg) moved the runner with a sacrifice bunt, and one out later Dragon knocked a base hit off the glove of Sjaghbar Martis (Willemstad, Curacao/Trinity Christian Academy) at first base for the eventual game-winner.
Scalzo threw 81 pitches on the day, 51 for strikes.
“Cam pitched as well as he has all season,” Brust noted. “He has developed a changeup and it was working for him today.”
Of the four walks Farrell and Scalzo issued, two were intentional.
“One thing that has been consistent is that when we don’t walk guys, we are in games,” Brust stated. “We can even kick it around a little and we’re still in it. That’s one thing our guys have learned to do is pound the zone.”
Monroe committed just one error on the day. Rosario and Carolina both made diving catches in the outfield while Connor Lewis (Brampton, Ontario/St. Marguerite d’Youville) made several noteworthy plays at short. Sanders ran down a short pop fly in the outfield on a check swing.
“The defense was pretty good,” Brust said. “We just need a couple of hitters to get going. We do things in practice and sometimes it translates in games. Sometimes it doesn’t.”
The Tribunes are 4-14 in one-run games this season.
Monroe travels to Lackawanna on Thursday for a doubleheader with the Falcons.
Leave a Reply