Westchester Sports Recap

BASEBALL (RECORD 11-2 REGION 0-0 CONFERENCE 0-0)

THURSDAY MARCH 21 Bronx, NY) – Sophomore Steve Guzman (Bronx, NY/John F. Kennedy HS) continued his torrid start to the 2019 season with a 4 for 4 effort at the plate and four runs scored. Freshman CJ Spence (Mount Vernon, NY/Mount Vernon HS) had three hits, three RBI’s and two runs scored as the Westchester Community College Baseball team used two huge innings to storm past Bronx Community College, 18-6 on Wednesday at Bronx CC. With the win, the Vikings improve to 8-1 to start the 2019 season.

It was a tight start to the game as Westchester clung to a 1-0 lead after two innings thanks in large part to an outstanding effort on the mound by freshman Optaciano Polo (Yonkers, NY/Cardinal Hayes) . Polo improved to 2-0 after a masterful performance, allowing only one baserunner over three innings, while striking out seven Broncos.

Westchester broke things open in the top of the third inning when the Vikings scored eight times to make it a 9-0 game. After Bronx scored three times in the bottom of the fourth inning to make it a 9-3 game, Westchester opened the fifth inning with a nine-run fifth inning to make it 18-3, and put the game out of reach.

SATURDAY MARCH 23 Freshman Michael Cox (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas HS) enjoyed a strong day on the mound and at the plate. Sophomore Steve Messerschmitt (Carmel, NY/Carmel HS) reached base safely six times over two games, but the Westchester Community College Baseball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader to UConn-Avery Point, 3-1 and 11-4, on Saturday afternoon at Silver Lake Park in West Harrison, NY. With the losses, Westchester is now 8-3 for the 2019 season.

The opener featured strong pitching on both sides as two of the top pitchers in the District combined to strike out 18 batters, and allowed a combined 12 hits. UCAP (3-7) scored twice in the third and once more in the fifth to take a 3-0 lead, and appeared to be cruising to victory before the Vikings offered a seventh inning rally to make things interesting.

During the bottom of the seventh inning, freshman Tyler Parshley (Carmel, NY/Carmel HS) led off with a double, and scored with one out on a Sean Vanegas (Bronx, NY/Mount St. Michael) ground out to make it 3-1. The RBI was the team-leading 18th of the season for Vanegas. After a Jhojandy Hernandez (Bronx, NY/Salesian) single brought the tying run to the plate and the top of the WCC line-up, two consecutive Vikings struck out to end the game.

Cox allowed three earned runs over six fine innings of work, striking out eight, while walking only two.

The nightcap saw the Vikings take an early lead when Messerschmitt singled home Hernandez in the bottom of the first inning, but a six run third inning forced WCC to play catch-up once again. In the bottom of the third inning, Westchester rallied for three runs, two of which scored on a Cox double, and later Parshley scored on a wild pitch. From there, UConn scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning, and twice more two innings later for the 11-4 final.

SUNDAY MARCH 24 – One year ago, Westchester Community College dropped three out of four baseball games during the same weekend to UConn Avery-Point and SUNY Adirondack, marking a 24-hour span that threw an entire season into doubt … for a very short period. The 2019 version of that schedule saw Westchester prove that things might be coming together at just the right time as Region XV play looms.

13 different Vikings over two games drove in runs, and freshman pitcher Optaciano Polo (Yonkers, NY/Cardinal Hayes) continued his masterful start to the 2019 season with his second complete game in three starts to improve to 3-0, as Westchester CC swept the visiting Timberwolves, 8-7 and 11-5 during the 2019 on-campus opener for the Vikings. With the wins, Westchester is now 10-3 overall, finishing a 3-3 week.

Both games had similar blueprints as Westchester forced to come from behind both games to earn the victories.

During the opener, Westchester fell behind 4-0 after the top of the third inning, but a five-run third inning put the Vikings ahead for good. During the rally, sophomore Steve Guzman (Bronx, NY/John F. Kennedy HS) doubled home a run, and freshman CJ Spence (Mount Vernon, NY/Mount Vernon HS) singled home Guzman to make it a 4-3 game. Spence later scored to tie the score on a Michael Cox (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas HS) single, and Westchester took the lead when Cox stole home.

Adirondack then scored twice during the top of the fifth inning to take a 7-6 lead, but Westchester went ahead for good in the bottom of the sixth inning as a Steve Messerschmitt (Carmel, NY/Carmel HS) scored Guzman to tie the game, and a Tyler Parshley (Carmel, NY/Carmel HS) single scored Spence to close out the scoring.

Freshman Jake Jempty (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas HS) earned his first career win, pitching 2.1 spectacular innings. The rookie only allowed one hit, did not walk a batter, and struck out two.

Eight different Vikings record hits and six different Westchester CC batters record RBI’s. Spence went 1 for 2 with an RBI, two walks, and a run scored, while Guzman and Sean Vanegas (Bronx, NY/Mount Saint Michael) scored two runs each.

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