Cergol Strikes Out 12 in Sweep of Utica University
CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. — The Finger Lakes Community College baseball team swept Utica University's junior varsity squad by scores of 10-0 (six innings) and 7-1 Wednesday afternoon at the Lakers Turf Baseball Complex.
In Game 1, freshman Alex Wootton (Palmyra, N.Y./Palmyra-Macedon) legged out an inside-the-park home run, classmate Alex Ahlstrom (Dunkirk, N.Y./Dunkirk) drove in a pair of runs on a second-inning double, and sophomores Matthew DiSanti (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) and Brendan McCrosson (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) each plated two runs to fuel the Lakers attack.
FLCC struck for two runs in both the first and second innings, added a run in the third, three more in the fourth, and tacked on a run in both the fifth and sixth innings to secure the win via the mercy rule.
Ahlstrom finished 3-for-4, and freshman Matthew Rodriguez (Lackawanna, N.Y./Lackawanna) was 2-for-4 with a run scored in the opener for FLCC. Sophomore Jeremy Hernandez (Weston, FL/Cypress Bay) earned the win after throwing 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief with three strikeouts and no walks.
In Game 2, sophomore Bruno Cergol (Rabun Gap, Ga./Rabun Gap) earned the win, striking out a career-high 12 batters while allowing one run on three hits over six innings to improve to 3-0 on the year.
Sophomore Nolan Phelan (St. Catharines, ON, Canada/Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School) hit a two-run double and classmate Lucas Sulimowicz (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena) had an RBI single as part of a four-run first inning and freshman Ryan Mettler (Middleport, N.Y./Royalton-Hartland) extended the lead to 5-0 on a sacrifice fly in the third.
Utica scored a run in the top of the sixth, but FLCC tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the inning on RBI singles from Sulimowicz and freshman Danny Melendez (Victor, N.Y./Victor) to close out the scoring.
Sulimowicz went 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored, Melendez was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI, and Phelan was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored as the Lakers earned their 13th doubleheader sweep this year.
FLCC returns to action this afternoon, April 27th, as they play host to Genesee Community College for a doubleheader beginning at 2 PM.
