By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, NY — The Monroe Community College nine continued its winning ways Sunday afternoon taking a twin bill from the Ithaca (JV) Bombers (12-2/7-1) in non-conference action at Tribune Field.
Monroe (15-13/2-2) put crooked numbers on the board in each of the first three innings en route to winning their fourth straight and seventh in their last eight.
“Guys are swinging the bats better in RBI situations,” Monroe head coach Dave Brust said. “They’re getting more and more educated on what they need to do with guys in scoring position.”
Ellington Hopkins, who rapped four hits including three triples in Saturday’s doubleheader sweep, reached base in both of his first two at bats Sunday including a single in a four-run first.
“I’m starting to see the inside pitch a little better,” Hopkins commented. “I’m getting after it every chance I get now.”
The top of the order picked up where they left off as yesterday. Jimmy Latona led the opener with a single, and Dave Vaccaro followed Hopkins with a double to score two. Angel Diaz brought home Vaccaro with a ground ball.
“It’s always important to get ahead especially for us,” Hopkins continued. “When we get ahead then we keep going after it with the bats. Then we’re hard to stop.”
Matt Brooks roped a two-out triple. Luke Brust doubled off the base of the fence in left field, and Monroe had all it needed at 4-0.
The Black and Gold pasted four more each in the second and third innings.
“Generally as the weather gets warmer, the bats get livelier,” Brust noted. “Guys are getting more and more relaxed.”
Luke Brust brought home a run with a sacrifice fly, and Hunter Merrill plated another with a two-out single to left.
The Tribunes took advantage of a walk, hit batter, an error and a wild pitch to push across another four in the third.
Monroe wasted little time in the night cap sending 12 to the plate in a six-run first.
Latona started with a home run. Vaccaro tripled, and Mike DiStefano doubled home two.
“I saw a tough pitch and had my two-strike approach,” DiStefano stated. “I got a low, inside pitch and hit it well.”
Distefano’s ground-rule two bagger plated Vaccaro and Matt Brooks.
Luke Brust and Merrill followed with singles before Andrew Segar loaded the bases when he was a hit by pitch. Latona brought home a run with another hit by pitch, and a Hopkins ground ball delivered the sixth run of the inning.
Zach Vennaro came out of the bullpen and retired seven of the eight batters he faced to end the game.
“He’s got a great arm, and he’s a big kid,” Brust said of the freshman hurler. “He’s a very talented kid. He just to needs to have some success and believe that he can go out there and compete and win.”
DiStefano started and tossed two shutout innings in the opener. The sophomore did not allow a ball out of the infield getting five ground ball outs and one strike out.
Ryan Quackenbush did not allow a run in two innings of relief.
Latona, Hopkins, Vaccaro and Diaz accounted for 12 hits and 14 RBI in Saturday’s two wins.
Monroe returns to conference play when Genesee Community College visits the friendly confines, Tuesday afternoon. A 1 p.m. first pitch is scheduled.
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