Sardou’s walk-off slam highlights MCC sweep

By PAUL GOTHAM

BRIGHTON, N.Y. — Michael Sardou (Rochester, N.Y./Churchville-Chili HS) was sitting on a fastball.

Instead, he saw an off-speed pitch.

The Monroe Community College sophomore took advantage when the two-strike offering caught a little too much of the plate.

Sardou capped a 12-run fifth inning, of a mercy-rule shortened affair, with a walk-off grand slam and MCC Baseball (10-4) went on to sweep Bryant & Stratton of Ohio (12-2/13-4) in NJCAA action, Sunday from Tribune Field.

“It was a hanging curveball that I hit,” he said. “I was just trying to take a two-strike approach, and it hung. I saw it well and banged it.”

The round-tripper, which cleared the fence in left field, was the third of the season for Sardou and fifth overall for the Tribunes. He leads the squad with 26 RBI.

“Their starting pitcher was really good,” Sardou said of Bryant & Stratton’s Max Wagar. “He had a really good game, but once we got some runners on, saw someone score, the runs just started coming.”

Thomas Woodridge (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) started the inning with a ground-rule double. Aidan Gallagher (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay-East Fishkill HS) brought in the first run of the inning with an infield single that glanced off the glove of the right-handed starter.

Sardou chased Wagar with a double to right center.

Tyler Cannon (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) put runners on the corners for Aaron Reina (Rochester, N.Y./Churchville-Chili HS) who brought in another with flare to shallow center field. Miguel Matos (Rochester, N.Y./East High) doubled to left to score two more.

They had left seven runners on base in the previous four innings including five in scoring position. In the fifth, all 12 batters that came to the plate reached base.

“We were being patient facing a very good arm,” Monroe head coach Dave Brust said of the Bryant & Stratton starter. “We knew his pitch count was on the rise, and he might be tiring.

“I thought we had good command of the strike zone, and there were a couple walks in there. The guys, again, their patience was probably the key.”

The runs were overdue for starting pitcher Connor Osier (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena) who struck out a season-high 12 and allowed two runs on two hits. The 6-foot-5 right-hander retired eight straight from the end of the first into the fourth and improved to 4-0 on the season.

“He was forced to dig into other pitches,” Brust said. “He’s been working with a different change up grip. “They’re all very aware of his 92 to 93 mile an hour fastball, so when he threw a good breaking pitch, and a couple good change ups, it helped him a lot.”

Sardou finished 2-for-2 with two walks, five RBI and two runs scored in Game 1. Reina was 2-3 with a run scored. Gallagher drove in a pair and scored twice.

Tanner Holmes (Allenford, ON/Owen Sound District) and Zane Barron (Ormond Beach, FL/Seabreeze) both singled, walked and scored a run.

Jadon Wanat (East Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville North HS) was 2-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.

In Game 2, the Tribunes put crooked numbers on the scoreboard in the first and third innings on the way to a sixth straight win.

“We exploded for 12 runs, and then just carried that into Game 2 with timely hitting, moving guys, getting into deeper counts, and certainly not caving into the strikeout,” Brust said. “Putting the ball in play was a big piece of our offense in both games.”

Sardou started the scoring in the nightcap with a two-run single. Barron brought in two more with a base hit, and MCC had a 4-0 lead after one.

Monroe batted around in a seven-run third.

Josh Skuce (Toronto, ON/Michael Power/St. Joseph’s), Gallagher, Cannon and Aaron Reina had an RBI apiece. Braedon Reina (Rochester, N.Y./Churchville-Chili) drove in two with a triple.

Gallagher and Cannon also brought in a run apiece.

Sophomore starter Cosgrove Zeiser (Victor, N.Y./Victor HS) fanned a career-high 10 batters over four and two-third innings to improve to 2-0 on the season.

Braedon Reina had a double in a 2-4 performance with a walk, three RBI and two runs scored in Game 2. Woodridge singled, walked twice and scored twice. Gallagher was 2-3 with a walk, two RBI and two runs scored.

Matos doubled as part of a two-hit effort and scored a run. Cannon walked twice and scored twice. Barron singled, walked, drove in two and scored a run.

Cameron Bentley (Toronto, ON/Humberside) struck out and hurled a scoreless seventh.

The DH starts a busy week for the Tribunes who will host three more twin dips over the next six days: Lackawanna College on Tuesday (Game 1 starts at 1 PM), Erie CC on Thursday (First again at 1 PM) and SUNY Niagara on Saturday, April 4th (First pitch, 1 PM).