Contributed Story
SUFFERN — March 8, 2008 — After defeating the host Rockland Community College Hawks on Thursday night in a Mid-Hudson Conference (MHC) game, the Sullivan County Community College baseball team dropped a doubleheader on Sunday to Rockland CC by scores of 11-6 and 2-0, respectively.
SCCC (5-9, 1-4) was down 7-1 in Sunday’s opener and scored five runs in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 7-6.
The Generals’ Ray Valdez homered to lead off the fifth to spark the rally.
SCCC’s Mike Prunka was in a pitchers’ duel with Rockland’s Nicholas Tingos through four innings. But the Hawks finally got to Prunka in the fifth, scoring six runs on five hits.
Albert Bevacqua led the Generals with three RBIs.
Game 2 was a classic pitchers’ duel between Sullivan’s Jess Kelly and Rockland’s Wes Poppe.
The Hawks scored the go- ahead runs in the sixth inning as Justin Leon drove in both runs with a double to right field.
The Generals had runners at first base and second base in the seventh, but Rockland’s Chris Krasniqui picked up the save for his team when he coaxed Bevacqua to pop out to shortstop to end the contest.
Mark Roarty went 2-for-3 in the game to lead the Generals’ offense.
“We had opportunities in both games to pull them out and our defense let us down at times and our hitting came up short other times,” SCCC Mike Marra said.
“We’ve been a little snake bit through these first five conference games,” he added.
“We’ll hit some shots, but they’re right at guys or defenses make great plays against us and we don’t execute the routine baseball plays. Add it up and you are 1-4 [in the conference].”
Generals win under the lights
The Generals banged out 17 hits with every player in the lineup recording at least one hit during their Thursday night 14-7 victory over Rockland.
Fred Moore went 3-for-6 with two doubles and three RBIs to pace the Generals’ attack.
SCCC’s John DeGroodt picked up the win on the mound. He pitched seven innings and struck out nine batters.
DeGroodt also had a good game at the plate. He was 2-for-4, blasted a solo home run and had two RBIs.
Also leading the Generals’ offense were Alicedies Ferreiras (2-for-4, two runs scored), Mark Roarty (3-for-6 with three RBIs) and Bevacqua (3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs).
Wes Poppe led the Hawks’ offense, going 4-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs.
“We were very disciplined at the plate tonight,” praised Marra. “We drew 10 walks and delivered key hits with men on base.
“We kept executing the game plan even when our lead evaporated which shows a lot of character by our guys,” Marra added.
The Generals led 7-2 after four innings.
The Hawks closed the gap to 7-5 after five and tied it at 7-7 in the seventh.
Moore’s RBI double in the eighth sparked a Generals’ rally to put the game away.