By Paul Gotham
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Tom Mastrodonato (Penfield, N.Y./Aquinas) and Ryan Quackenbush (Honeoye Falls-Lima, N.Y./Honeoye Falls-Lima) hurled a pair of complete-game gems as Monroe Community College’s Tribunes (24-23/3-9) swept (9-0/8-1) the Ontario Terriers in non-conference action at Tribune Field Sunday.
Mastrodonato struck out eight, walked two, hit one and allowed two hits for the game-one win. After allowing a one-out hit in the top of the first, the right-hander retired the next 10 batters he faced.
“Everything was clicking,” Mastrodonato said. “My defense was making great plays all day. I was trying to get ahead in the count and let them hit it.”
Making his second start of the season, the freshman faced the minimum in three innings while allowing just one runner past first – a two out double in the fourth off the bat of Kyle MacDonald.
“When you’re starting, you have more control,” said Mastrodonato who has come on in relief 11 times this season. “The game is in your hands right off the bat. Sometimes you can’t control coming out of the bullpen. You can’t control who’s on base. Sometimes you come on with bases loaded. You just gotta pitch.”
Monroe’s defense played errorless ball for the afternoon.
“Good pitching will induce good defense,” Monroe coach Dave Brust noted. “Our guys are in the zone, but they trust the guys behind them. You see the maturity of guys pounding the strike zone. Now guys are making plays behind them and it adds another dimension.”
Hunter Merrill (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Sutherland) rapped a pair of hits as Monroe sent 15 to the plate during an eight-run eighth.
“He’s been swinging the bat very well,” Brust stated. “He’s got great baseball IQ.”
Merrill’s single through the left side of the infield plated Jimmy Latona (Chili, N.Y./Churchville-Chili) with the first run of the inning.
“He works at it,” Brust said of Merrill. “He always has a feel for what’s going on. I’m not surprised that this time of the year he is playing well.”
With Latona on first, Andrew Segar (Mendon, N.Y./Honeoye Falls-Lima) sparked the rally with a hit-and-run single through the right side of the infield. After Merrill’s rap, Angel Rosario (Bridgeport, CT/Bullard Havens) followed with an infield hit to load the bases.
Ellington Hopkins (Lansing, N.Y./Lansing) brought home a run with a ground ball. Rayshelon Carolina (Willemstad, Curacao/St. Jozef Academy) scored another with a bases loaded walk. Alex Saville (Sherrill, N.Y./Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) delivered with a sacrifice fly. Sjaghbar Martis (Willemstad, Curacao/Trinity Christian Academy) singled home Connor Lewis (Brampton, Ontario/St. Marguerite d’Youville) and Segar cleared the bases when his fly ball was dropped in left field.
Quackenbush struck out nine, walked three and gave up three hits for his third win of the season in the nightcap. The right-hander set down the first seven he faced and took a no-hitter into the fifth. Quackenbush surrendered one run over five full in a win over Lackawanna on April 16th and did not allow a runner past second until the seventh inning Sunday’s game.
Lewis was one of four batters to collect a pair of hits in game two. The freshman shortstop drove in two with a sacrifice fly in the fourth and a triple in the sixth.
“Connor in the two hole gives us a lot of choices,” Brust said. “He can drive the ball the other way. He can bunt. He’s a good runner. He’ll stick one in the gap. He’s got pop.”
The Tribunes offense wasted little time in game two. Jon Simmons (Victor, N.Y./Victor) brought home Hopkins with a one-out base opposite field single to right in the home half of the first. A run scored when Tommy LaCongo (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) reached on an error, and Brett Sanders (Greece, N.Y./Greece Olympia) brought home two with a single to center for a 4-0 lead.
Mike DiStefano (Greece, N.Y./Greece Athena) tripled down the right field line to score Rosario in the fourth.
DiStefano doubled and scored in the sixth. Ryan Prevost (Greece, N.Y./Greece Athena) added an RBI sacrifice fly.
Monroe opens the Region 3 Division 2 Tournament Friday against Genesee Community College (7-23/4-8). GCC has taken four of six from the Tribunes. First pitch is noon on the campus of Mercyhurst NE.
Monroe plays Mercyhurst NE in the second game of the regionals.
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