By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, NY — The Monroe Community College nine shook off some early rust Saturday afternoon. Once rid of the oxidation, the Tribunes didn’t look back.
Playing their first game in nearly a week, Monroe CC rallied from an early deficit and went on to defeat the Jefferson Community College Cannoneers (4-3/17-0) in non-conference action at Tribune Field.
Jimmy Latona and Dave Vaccaro combined for three runs in the opener as the Tribs erased a two-run deficit.
“We had a six-day layoff,” Latona noted. “We haven’t played since last Sunday. We didn’t come out as high tempo as we should have.”
Latona scored the eventual game-winner in the opener with aggressive, heads-up baserunning. The sophomore infielder knew to expect the green light from third base coach from Tony Fuller.
“He always tells us to make sure we pick him up,” Latona said of the need to make eye contact with the Tribune assistant. “We all know he likes to be aggressive.”
Latona didn’t hesitate when Vaccaro drilled a shot into the hole between shortstop and third base. Jefferson’s Hunter Thomas created a delay when he went to his knees to make the stop.
“I was going to turn the bag no matter what,” Latona noted. “I wasn’t going to walk into third base. I was still moving pretty good.”
When Thomas couldn’t make the exchange from the glove, Latona got the green light.
“He did change his mind at the last second,” Latona said of his coach. “I wasn’t coming to a complete stop. Once he gave me the sign to keep going, I just caught my stride.”
Latona’s heads up play on the base paths keyed a three-run third. With Braden Passmore aboard via a leadoff walk, Latona beat out an intended sacrifice bunt. Passmore caused confusion on the part of the Jefferson infield when he rounded second on the play. Latona took advantage of a vacated second-base bag.
Ellington Hopkins followed with an RBI sacrifice fly, and Vaccaro delivered the big blow with an opposite field home run. The Monroe shortstop was not shy about mentioning that he got a little help on the play.
“He threw me a curve ball first pitch,” Vaccaro explained. “I knew he was going to come with that. In my last at bat, he had thrown me a couple. I just stayed back on it and went that way. It got up in the wind a little bit.”
Monroe led 4-2 and did not trail for the rest of the afternoon.
“Ultimately, you get the win, and that’s what matters,” Monroe head coach Dave Brust said. “Guys were a little rusty at the bat. Once we got the W, we were ready to go in the second game.”
Collin Stack settled down after allowing a run each in the first and second innings.
“Stack has been one of the more consistent pitchers we have,” Brust stated. “When he scuffles, it’s almost a different perspective because he doesn’t scuffle much.”
The freshman right-hander struck out two and retired 11 straight from the second through the fifth for his third win of the season.
Zach Vennaro came on with two runners aboard in the seventh and retired the side on one pitch for the save.
Angel Diaz sparked a five-run first in the night cap as the Tribunes picked up where they left off. The sophomore first baseman jumped on JCC starter Adrian Fittock with a three-run blast to straightaway center.
“When he’s swinging it well, he’s dead centerfield,” Brust noted. “We worked on that all week. He took that to heart.”
Diaz plated Hopkins and Vaccaro with his second round-tripper of the season.
“He’s a good RBI guy,” Brust added. “He’s a very astute baseball person. He knows what works and what wins and what’s going to keep him successful.”
Monroe starter, Luke Tomczyk made good on the lead. The 6-5 freshman struck out four, walked two and set down the last nine he faced as the Tribunes mercy-ruled the Cannoneers.
“That’s what we needed,” Brust said. “We needed him to come out and throw strikes. It’s about getting guys experience and building success.”
Tomczyk tossed a complete game after Stack threw 80 pitches in the opener before giving way to the bullpen.
“This time of year you want to start running the guys a little longer,” Brust said. “They got to start being able to throw.”
Monroe batted around in the second, and Passmore cleared the bases with a double to left center as the Tribunes put the game out of reach with a seven spot.
“We turned it up in game two,” Latona said.
After rain forced a rescheduling of the Tribunes two doubleheaders with Mercyhurst NE last week, Monroe’s twinbill with Lackawanna was cancelled on Thursday.
“It’s always tough after you don’t play for almost a week coming out and having that fire that you have every day,” Vaccaro said. “The second game we played like we know how. We really gave it to them.”
Monroe (22-14/7-2 WNYAC) spends the remainder of the regular season on the road. The Tribunes head to Cleveland on Sunday for a double dip with Cuyahoga Community College. The Tribs take on Itahca JV on Thursday and close at Genesee Community College next Saturday.
“Five days of not playing games late in the season you want to avoid that,” Brust said. “We practice well. I have no complaints. The effort is always there. I never have to worry about that.”
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