By PAUL GOTHAM
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Hunter Merrill delivered the game-winning hit, and Zach Vennaro made it stick as the Monroe Community College Tribunes swept the Onondaga Community College Lazers (9-4/5-4) in NJCAA action Sunday afternoon.
Merrill’s opposite field, two-out single in the top of the eighth plated the game winner in the final at bat as Monroe erased a late-game deficit.
“I was looking for a ball out over the plate that I could drive the other way,” Merrill said. “That’s what I got.”
The sophomore infielder took a Luke Drancsak one-strike offering to right field and scored Tommy LaCongo as the Tribunes rallied to close the regular season on a six-game winning streak.
“He was coming with fastballs mostly,” Merrill explained. “I didn’t really want an off-speed pitch. Coach always says RBIs are in right center field. That’s what I was looking for, a fastball away.”
Vennaro hurled four and a third shutout innings for the win. The freshman right-hander retired the last nine batters he faced.
“He was the right guy for that situation,” Monroe head coach Dave Brust said. “He’s been throwing really well.”
Vennaro came on with two outs in the fourth, four runs in and ended the threat two batters later.
“I was struggling a little bit with the curve ball in the beginning, and I finally got It down,” Vennaro said. “I was able to throw it for strikes and use it when I needed it. I was just locating the fastball today.”
The appearance was Vennaro’s 11th of the season and seventh out of the bullpen. He made four starts early in the season before making the switch to the bullpen. He hasn’t allowed a run in his last three appearances and six of the last seven. Sunday’s outing was his longest since six-plus innings pitched on March 18th.
“He’s built confidence over his last five outings,” Brust stated. “He was going to be in there whether to win or lose. I think he really needed to experience that and take advantage of that opportunity. He needed to get back to pounding fastballs.”
Monroe grabbed an early three-run advantage. Ryan Prevost led the night cap with a walk and moved to second when Dave Vaccaro reached on an error. LaCongo brought home the run with a ground ball. Andrew Segar and Prevost drove in runs in the second for a 3-0 MCC lead.
Vaccaro started the fifth with a single back through the box, stole second, moved to third on a Matt Brooks ground ball and scored on a Mike DiStefano ground ball.
Onondaga threatened in the sixth. Paul Fitzgibbons worked a leadoff walk and moved to second on a Nate Budge sacrifice bunt. Vennaro put out the fire with two of his five punch outs in the game and set the stage for Merrill’s hit.
“You couldn’t ask for a better guy in that situation, Brust said of Merrill’s hit. “He’s one of those guys who is in the lineup every day, all the time. He never comes out. He really is the captain of our defense. He’s just so steady.”
Merrill went 4-of-7 on the day with three RBI, five stolen bases and a run scored.
Monroe sent nine to the plate in the first inning of the opener and never looked back. Prevost and Vaccaro led with back-to-back bunt singles. When the late throw to first trying to get Vaccaro at first went down the right field line, Prevost came around to score and Vaccaro moved to third. Matt Brooks walked and scored on a LaCongo single. Segar tripled home a run, and Monroe had all it needed.
Luke Tomczyk made good on the offensive production. The freshman right-hander allowed just one hit the first time through the order.
Angel Diaz pushed the advantage seven in the third with an RBI base hit up the middle scoring Prevost.
Merrill and Braden Passmore brought home runs in the fifth. MCC led 9-2.
Onondaga scored a run in the fifth. Tomczyk stranded a pair. The damage could have been more had it not been for a spectacular play in foul territory by Diaz. The Monroe first baseman made an over-the-shoulder grab, turned and held a runner on first.
Alex Bellardini came out of the bullpen and worked a scoreless sixth before surrendering a run in the seventh.
Prevost collected three hits on the day and scored three runs.
Vaccaro had two hits, two runs scored, a walk and four stolen bases.
LaCongo rapped three hits and scored three times to go with two RBI.
Segar crossed the plate four times, had three hits and two RBI.
Monroe stole 19 bases during the doubleheader. The Tribunes 95 thefts this season rank 20th in NJCAA Division II. MCC’s opponents have 33 swipes.
Avery Brooks went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored for OCC in the opener.
Monroe (28-16/9-3 WNYAC) takes the field in the Region III Division II tournament on Friday at Genesee Community College. The schedule is TBA.
Leave a Reply