CONTACT: Jeff Foley (518) 629-8085 or (518) 373-1262
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Monday, May 21, 2001
http://www.hvcc.edu
May 21, Batavia - The NJCAA Division III World Series adventure ended for Hudson Valley Community College's baseball team today. After falling behind 5-0 in the first inning, the Vikings, competing in the World Series for the first time 19 years, mounted a mid-game rally against Columbus State Community College at Batavia's Dwyer Field this afternoon, but it was not enough. The Vikings lost their second game of the double-elimination tournament, 7-3.
"It's really hard to come back from a five-run inning against the kind of teams that are here," said Tom Reinisch, Hudson Valley's head coach. "They just came out smoking the ball."
Hudson Valley spotted Columbus State five runs - allowing five hits and committing an error in the bottom of the first frame - but the Vikings did not lie down. Nick Borgia (Scotia-Glenville), who tossed a complete-game victory against Quinsigamond Community College on Saturday, came on in relief for Hudson Valley in the first inning and threw until the eighth.
A Second Team All-Region III selection, Borgia struck out four batters and allowed just four hits.
"He was awesome," Reinisch said. "And he did it on just one day's rest. He should have been the Most Valuable Player of the game, for either team."
While Borgia quieted Columbus State's bats, Hudson Valley chipped away at the plate. Justin Meaghar (Colonie) continued his hot streak - he had at least one hit in all three of Hudson Valley's World Series games - leading off the bottom of the fourth inning with a single and coming around to score on a Ryan McGinniss (Catholic Central) double. Mike "Bubba" Martin (Lansingburgh) checked in to run for McGinniss and crossed home when Chad Sydor (Troy) reached on an error.
Then, in the sixth, McGinniss led off with a single and was again replaced by Martin, who eventually scored on a wild pitch. The Vikings, however, could not muster any more offense.
"We're fine," Reinisch said. "We're reflecting on the season right now. We finished at 33-10; we did OK."
McGinniss and Meaghar each contributed a pair of hits. As Reinisch said, Hudson Valley finished the season with a 33-10 record. Columbus State (48-20) will play the winner of a game between Quinsigamond (33-13) and Montgomery College (29-28).
"Shoot, even to come out here and win a game is great," Reinisch said. "You know, we're at the World Series. We had a great season."
Columbus State 7, Hudson Valley 3
       1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
HV 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 3 7 2
CS 5 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 X 7 9 3
Tregear, Borgia (1), Goodbred (8) and McGinniss; Woodruff and Pyne.
Hudson Valley Community College, located in Troy, offers more than 50 degree and certificate programs in four academic divisions; Business; Engineering and Industrial Technologies; Health Sciences; and Liberal Arts and Sciences. One of 30 community colleges in the State University of New York system, Hudson Valley has an enrollment of more than 9,000 students each year, and is known as a leader in distance learning initiatives and worker retraining.
