BY PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — In a game that saw four lead changes, Monroe Community College Baseball (20-14) used a three-run rally in the eighth inning to defeat Erie Community College (25-21), 7-6 in National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) action from Tribune Field on Wednesday.
Braedon Reina (Rochester, N.Y./Churchville-Chili HS) dropped a sinking line drive into left field and brought home Paul Fiene (Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Sachem HS North) with the go-ahead run in the decisive frame
Trailing 6-4, Evan Brock (Rochester, N.Y./Rush-Henrietta HS), Carter Higgins (Truro, Nova Scotia/Cobequid Educational Centre) and Fiene reached on consecutive walks to start the inning.
Michael Sardou (Rochester, N.Y./Churchville-Chili HS) brought home the Tribunes first run of the frame with a base hit. Jadon Wanat (East Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville North HS) beat out an infield single to score Higgins and tie the game.
Reina delivered from there.
“It was amazing,” Wanat said of the come-from-behind win. “That was the best feeling.”
No player in the MCC lineup embodied Wednesday’s effort more than Wanat. The freshman outfielder finished 2-for-3 at the plate and reached base three times. He scored twice along with driving in the game-tying run.
Wanat came to the plate in the fifth with one out, nobody on and Monroe trailing 2-1. He fouled off five full-count offerings before finding one that he liked. He stole second and then moved 90 feet on a Reina ground out.
Miguel Matos (Rochester, N.Y./East HS) brought him home with a single to left.
The mini-rally started with Wanat not giving in and working to get a pitch he could hit.
“I was just trying to live in the present, live in every pitch,” he said. “I wasn’t even thinking about how long the at-bat was. I was just thinking about the next pitch, just trying to do damage.”
When Aiden Piccolo‘s fastball caught a little too much of the plate, Wanat drove it back up the middle.
“I played against him in Buffalo,” Wanat said recalling travel ball experiences during his high school years. “I knew what he threw. He’s got a little bit of movement to my inside. I took a step off the plate because I knew he was going to come in on me. I kept pulling them down the line. I got one a little bit out over the plate and put it up the middle.”
Wanat wasn’t done there. He was hit by a pitch with one out in the seventh and was part of a double steal with Reina. He scored on a Matos sacrifice fly.
“Jadon is a gritty player,” said MCC head coach Dave Brust. “We need that type of mentality. I’m not surprised. It’s good to see it. Grind out an at-bat, get on base and just keep finding ways. That’s what he brings. Hopefully, it’s infectious.”
Parker Holden (Rochester, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) came out of the bullpen in the eighth with two on, two outs and four runs in. The freshman right-hander struck out the first batter he faced to end the threat and pick up the win.
Matos got the final three outs for his first save of the season.
The game was a scheduled nine-affair, a departure from the usual two-seven inning games played during the junior college regular season. With the post-season set to start next Friday for Monroe, Brust used Wednesday’s game as a means to prepare his squad for the playoffs when games are played over a full nine innings.
“Their (Erie CC) regular season is done, and Joe (ECC head coach, Bauth), didn’t want to be sitting around and not have his guys see live pitching for a period of time.
“We don’t play enough nine-inning games. That nine-inning experience is very helpful. The rhythm of a nine-inning game is so important to experience. It is real baseball. Doubleheader life is ridiculous.”
Brennan Hileman (Cincinnati, OH/St. Xavier HS), who recently committed to the University of Maine to continue his college career, started and struck out seven over seven innings. The freshman right-hander allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks.
“You can’t say enough about him,” commented Brust. “He is a Division I pitcher, and he shows it every time out.”
Brock gave MCC a 1-0 lead in the first with a single that brought home Reina.
Erie CC put single runs on the board in the third and fourth to take the lead.
The Tribunes scored twice in the seventh to take a brief 4-2 lead.
Erie took advantage of two walks, a hit batsman and a wild pitch in the top of the eighth to grab the lead.
Reina finished 2-4 with a double, a walk, an RBI and two runs scored. Tobey Wright (Rochester, N.Y./Rush-Henrietta) singled and drove in a run. Brock was 2-3.
Monroe hosts Niagara County Community College for a nine-inning game on Thursday. A 1 p.m. first pitch is scheduled.
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