By PAUL GOTHAM
HENRIETTA, N.Y. — CJ Phelps (Rochester, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit) and Alex Simons (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) combined to produce 10 runs on five hits as host Monroe Community College Baseball (8-6) took an 11-4 decision in Game 1 of an eventual doubleheader split with Erie Community College in NJCAA action, Monday at Tribune Field.
Simons plated Tobey Wright (Henrietta, N.Y./Rush-Henrietta) with a one-out triple in the second inning to start the scoring. Simons then walked and scored on a single from Phelps as the Tribunes pushed across six runs in the third to take a commanding 8-0 lead.
“Al had a very good day,” MCC head coach Dave Brust said of the sophomore first baseman who was 3-for-3 with a walk, four runs scored and an RBI in the opener. “He’s such a competitor. He works at his game, relentlessly. He’s so coachable, and he gets better. He competes day in and day out.”
Phelps drove in Simons and Wright to extend the lead to 10-3 in the fourth.
“He quietly does his job,” Brust said of the sophomore catcher who was behind the plate for all 14 innings on Monday. “He had a bunch of big hits in Game 1. I’m very happy with his production. He’s very business-like.”
Phelps finished 2-for-4 with four RBI and a run scored in the win. Wright went 2-for-4 with a triple, two RBI and three RBI.
Zach Allen (Rochester, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit) struck out two over 4.2 innings and improved to 2-1 on the season. Will Russotti (Rochester, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit) worked two and a third in relief with two strike outs.
Lucas Brown (Toronto, ON/Humberside Collegiate) was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Joe Wintermute (Rochester, N.Y./Irondequoit) singled, walked twice, drove in a run and scored another. Brody Froman (Rochester, N.Y./Irondequoit) drove in a run with a base hit and also crossed home. Thomas Rebis (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Odyssey) doubled in the win.
Froman, Phelps and Simons were the only Tribune batters to collect a hit in a 9-0 loss in Game 2.
Caleb Causey (Richmond VA/Hargrave Military Academy) struck out two and hurled a scored seventh inning.
The win was the 1,100th in the 33-year career of Erie CC head coach Ed Bauth.
Garrett Wilson (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles, a walk, two RBI and two runs scored to lead the Erie offense. Shane Pray (Churchville, N.Y./Churchville-Chili) was 2-for-3 with a walk and three runs scored.
“The thing with Erie is that they always hit,” Brust said. “They’re gritty. They refuse to strike out.”
The Wildcats scored two runs in the second, one more apiece in the third and fourth before pushing three across in the fifth and two in the sixth.
Bauth’s career at ECC has included games against four different MCC skippers: hall-of-fame inductees H. David Chamberlain and Skip Bailey along with Mike Kelly and now Brust.
MCC will host NJCAA Division II rival UConn-Avery Point for a three-game set this weekend. A 3 PM first pitch is slated Friday for a scheduled nine-inning affair. A doubleheader follows on Saturday with a 1 PM start for Game 1.
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