Contributed Story
SUFFERN — The Sullivan County Community College (SCCC) baseball team won the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XV Championship on Tuesday with a 12-3 victory over Dutchess Community College.
The Generals, who were seeded fourth in the tournament held at Rockland Community College in Suffern, went a perfect 3-0 to win the school’s first ever baseball championship.
SCCC dropped its baseball program after the 1986 season and started it back up in 2006.
“I’m so proud of our kids today,” said a very happy SCCC Coach Mike Marra. “We’ve been working so hard since last fall for this opportunity and these guys played their hearts out all weekend.
“This program, still in its infancy, has been through a lot and it’s nice to see all the time and effort put in by our students pay off.”
SCCC freshman infielder Melvin Simmons was named the tournament MVP.
Mike Prunka, a Glen Spey resident and 2006 graduate of Eldred Central School, picked up the win on the mound for the Generals in the title game. He scattered five hits over 6 2/3 innings while striking out three and walking two.
John DeGroodt came in to relieve Prunka in the seventh. He got the final out of that frame and then held Dutchess CC (21-18) scoreless in the eighth and ninth innings.
DeGroodt also led the Generals’ offensive attack by going 2-for-4 with four RBIs.
Both Prunka and DeGroodt were named to the All-Tournament team, along with teammates Alcides Ferreiras and Wellington Vargas.
Albert Bevacqua went 3-for-5 with two RBIs for the Generals.
Fred Moore, a 2007 Tri-Valley Central School graduate, Mark Roarty, Mike Donohue and Ray Valdez each had two hits for SCCC. Valdez also had two RBIs.
With the win, the Generals advanced to the NJCAA Northeast Districts. At 4 p.m. today, SCCC (17-17) will face Region III champion Monroe Community College of Rochester in Suffern.
Mercer CC of New Jersey (Region XIX) and UConn at Avery Point (Region XXI) round out the district tournament. The winner of the district tourney advances to the NJCAA College World Series, which will be held May 24-30 in Millington, Tenn.
SCCC tops Dutchess
to reach tourney final
The Generals defeated Dutchess CC, 15-3, on Monday to advance to the championship game.
The Falcons reached the title tilt by stopping top-seeded Rockland CC in the finals of the loser’s bracket.
On Monday afternoon, the Generals jumped on Falcons’ starter Greg Shreders for three runs in the first inning and added four more in the second to take a 7-0 lead.
Vargas earned the win for SCCC with a complete game four-hitter.
With the Generals holding a 9-2 lead in the sixth inning, Ferreiras hit a grand slam to put the game out of reach at 13-2.
Donohue went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs, while Roarty and Simmons each had two hits and two RBIs for the Generals.