After opening the season with a pair of out-of-state doubleheaders, the Panthers baseball team hosted its first Mid-State Athletic Conference games on Tuesday, splitting a doubleheader with Jefferson Community College. The Panthers won the opener 14-4 before dropping the nightcap 12-9. The Panthers are now 2-4 overall and 1-1 in the MSAC. It was the first time out this season for Jefferson.
Game One: Tompkins Cortland 14, Jefferson 4 (6 innings)
The Panthers scored early and often in game one, plating three runs in the first and adding another in the second. After a scoreless third, Jefferson finally broke through with a pair of runs in the fourth, but the Panthers answered with a single run in the bottom of the inning before breaking it wide open with six runs in the fifth.
Starting pitcher Talfourd Wynne (Philadelphia/Indian River H.S.) was dominant in stretches, not allowing any hits through the first three innings. He finished with eight strike outs over four innings of work to earn the win. Reliever Zachary Dodge (East Hampton/East Hampton H.S.), who came in with 5-2 game and benefitted from the Panthers run explosion, picked up the save.
Dominic Zona (Rochester/Greece Arcadia H.S.) sparked the offense from the leadoff spot, going 4-for-5 with a double, two RBI, and tying program records with five stolen bases and four runs scored. Keelan Marren (Skaneateles/Skaneateles H.S.) went 2-for-4 with a double, three RBI, and three runs scored.
Game Two: Jefferson 12, Tompkins Cortland 9
Things started slowly in game two, with Jefferson scoring in the first and third innings to lead 2-0. The Panthers got on the board and moved ahead with three in the bottom of the third, but Jefferson stormed back with seven in the fourth and two more in the fifth to lead 11-3. TC3 scored one in the bottom of the fifth, but Jefferson got that run back in the top of the seventh, putting the Panthers down 12-4 with just three outs left.
Julian Poleon (Brooklyn/Abraham Lincoln H.S.) opened the inning with a double, and after a groundout, came around to score on an error. When the next batter struck out, the Panthers were down to their last out, and still trailed 12-5. Five consecutive walks later, the score stood at 12-8, bringing Poleon back to the plate representing the tying run. When Poleon was hit by a pitch, another run scored and put brought the winning run to the plate. The rally ended with a strike out, and Jefferson escaped with a 12-9 win.
After recording 12 hits in six innings worth of at-bats in game one, the Panthers managed just five hits in the nightcap. Poleon and Jack Pilgrim (Rochester/Greece Arcadia H.S.) each had two hits, with Poleon driving in two runs and scoring twice.
Looking ahead
The Panthers head to New Jersey on Friday to take on Ocean County Community College in a non-region doubleheader.