By Rob Potter
BAYSIDE — April 1, 2008 — An excellent defensive play on Sunday afternoon enabled the visiting Sullivan County Community (SCCC) Generals to register a one-run win against Queensboro Community College.
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning and the Generals holding onto a 4-3 lead, Queensboro’s Luis Herrera attempted to score on a ball hit into the gap in the outfield.
But Herrera was tagged out at home plate by SCCC catcher Fred Moore after outfielder Danny Mercedes relayed the ball to Albert Bevacqua, who then threw a strike to Moore so he could tag Herrera.
The defensive gem preserved the win for SCCC, which lost the first game of the doubleheader, 7-1.
“It was a good play and hopefully it will give us an emotional lift for this week’s games,” SCCC Coach Mike Marra said yesterday morning in a telephone interview.
With the split against Queensboro CC and an 11-1 loss to Westchester Community College on Saturday, SCCC now has an overall record of 4-7 on the season.
“So far, it’s been a season of streaks,” Marra said. “We won our first three games, then lost seven in a row before winning Sunday’s second game. Hopefully that victory will be the spark for another win streak.”
The Generals took the lead for good against Queensboro CC when Ray Valdez scored on a sacrifice fly by Garrett Russell in the top of the fifth.
Melvin Simmons led the SCCC offense in the twinbill against Queensboro CC. He was 2-for-6 with a pair of singles in the two games.
In Saturday’s Mid-Hudson Conference (MHC) defeat at Westchester CC, seven different Generals had a hit.
Notes: Weather permitting, SCCC was scheduled to play a non-league game at Sussex (N.J.) Community College yesterday afternoon.
The Generals are slated to resume their MHC schedule this week with a four-game series against Rockland Community College. SCCC will play at Rockland CC in Suffern at 3:30 p.m. today and at 3:30 p.m. on Friday.
At noon this Saturday, April 5, the Generals will host Rockland CC in a doubleheader.
SCCC’s twinbill against Westchester CC, which was postponed from this past Saturday, is now scheduled to be played on Sunday, April 13 at SCCC.