By PAUL GOTHAM
BRIGHTON, N.Y. — Only the weather could keep Monroe Community College Baseball from a doubleheader sweep on Thursday.
Aidan Gallagher (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay East Fishkill) and Michael Sardou (Rochester, N.Y./Churchville-Chili, N.Y.) drove in a pair of runs apiece as MCC (21-6) took an 11-1 decision from Genesee CC in Game 1 of an NJCAA doubleheader.
Sardou drove in the first run of the game with his 20th extra-base hit of the season — a triple to right center. He scampered home on a wild pitch to give the Tribunes a 2-0 lead after one inning.
And the bats kept producing from there.
“The offense is clicking,” said MCC head coach Dave Brust. “If one guy is not quite putting good at bats, somebody else is picking up for him. That clearly was the case today.”
The Tribunes pushed across at least one run in each of the five innings of the mercy-rule shortened contest.
Sardou reached on a hit by pitch to lead the third and eventually scored on an error. Aaron Reina (Rochester, N.Y./Churchville-Chili HS) singled. Braedon Reina (Rochester, N.Y./Churchville-Chili) followed with an RBI double.
Zane Barron (Ormond Beach, FL/Seabreeze) and Tanner Holmes (Allenford, ON/Owen Sound District) both added a run with singles to make it a 7-0 game.
The offensive production came on a day when the Tribunes’ usually peerless defense betrayed them.
“The offense is in a good place, so if the defense has a hiccup, the offense can pick up the slack,” Brust said.
Having recently gone 54 consecutive innings without committing an error, the Tribunes had a pair of fielding miscues in the first game on Thursday. Combine that with a pair of passed balls and there was an uncommon amount of free bases given.
“For a lot of our games it’s been the defense and good pitching keeping games close and letting our offense find its way,” Brust said. “It goes back to that theme of complimentary baseball.”
Cos Zeiser (Victor, NY/Victor HS) struck out four over four innings and improved to 5-0 on the season.
“Cos continues to compete for us,” Brust said. “He has been reliable for us all season.”
The sophomore right-hander allowed three hits and issued three walks. The run that scored was unearned.
Parker Holden (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) hurled a scoreless inning of relief.
Barron was 2-2 with an RBI and two runs scored. Miguel Matos (Rochester, NY/East High) singled, walked and scored twice.
Gallagher and Thomas Woodridge (Fayetteville, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius) both finished 1-3 with a run scored. Jack Duggan (Georgetown,ON/Georgetown District) was 1-3 with a double.
Jadon Wanat (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville North) pinch-hit and drove in a run with a single. He later scored.
Braedon Reina slugged a pair of two-run round-trippers in the nightcap to help stake the Tribunes to a 10-0 lead after two innings of play. The sophomore left fielder, who went 5-5 with four RBI and three runs scored in Monroe’s sweep (12-2/10-0) of Bryant & Stratton, Ohio earlier in the week, entered Thursday’s action going 10-for-12 at the plate in the Tribs’ past four games.
“Braedon Reina has taken it up a couple notches,” Brust said. “He’s been pretty impressive in his last 20 at bats.”
Monroe led 10-3 heading to the bottom of the fourth when rain showers forced suspension of play.
Tyler Cannon (Webster NY/Webster Schroeder) was 2-3 with two runs scored when the game was halted. Lucas Karelus (Rochester, NY/Churchville-Chili) and Josh Skuce (Toronto, ON/Michael Power St. Joseph’s) had a single apiece.
Sardou also had a base hit in the second game. The sophomore second baseman has hit safely in 23 of 27 completed games on the season. He leads Monroe hitting .506 with a .592 on-base percentage and a .937 slugging percentage.
MCC hosts a doubleheader with Utica JV on Sunday, April 19th. A 1 PM first pitch is scheduled for Game 1.
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