CONTACT: Steve Mullen (518) 629-8063
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Sunday, April 18, 2004
Hudson Valley Community College, ranked eighth in the latest NJCAA Division III baseball poll, swept No. 5 Dutchess Community College earlier today at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium. Hudson Valley won the first game, 10-0, and took the nightcap, 4-2.
The Vikings have won nine straight games and improve their record to 24-7. Dutchess, which finished third at the 2002 and 2003 NJCAA Division III World Series, drops to 18-13.
Hudson Valley exploded for five runs in the first inning of the opening game.
That is all Hudson Valley starting pitcher K.K. Pierce (Honolulu, HI/Saratoga Springs High School) would need. He only allowed two hits in five innings of work to pick up his fourth win of the season. He walked two and struck out two.
Freshman Joel Molina (Middletown/Middletown High School) was two-for-three with a double and two RBI to lead the Vikings at the plate. Sophomore Rashad Barksdale (Hudson/Hudson High School) added two hits and an RBI. Sophomore Ryan Gijon-Owen (Puebla, Mexico/Bowie, TX High School) and freshman Carmine Berghela (Albany/Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High School) drove in two runs apiece.
Trailing 2-0 in the second game, Hudson Valley rallied for four runs in the third inning and held on for the win. Molina, Gijon-Owen, and sophomore Steve Sayre (East Greenbush/Columbia High School) had two hits apiece for the Vikings in the game.
Freshman pitcher William Lewis (Middletown/Middletown High School) allowed two runs on seven hits in five innings of work to improve his record to 5-2 on the year. He struck out two and walked none. Sophomore Jeremy Gulich (Horseheads/Horseheads High School) pitched the final two innings to pick up the save.
Game 1
Dutchess 000 00 - 0 2 3
Hudson Valley 520 03 - 10 8 2
Dutchess: Michael Haase, John Brunet (1), Anthony Shallo (2) and Jeff Caparco
Hudson Valley: K.K. Pierce and Kyle Sharp
Game 2
Dutchess 011 000 0 - 2 9 3
Hudson Valley 004 000 x - 4 11 1
Dutchess: Eric Darling, Phil Reda (3) and Patrick Lahey
Hudson Valley: William Lewis, Jeremy Gulich (6) and Craig Mastroianni