CONTACT: R. Sean Coffey, (518) 629-7898, r.coffey@hvcc.edu
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Hudson Valley Community College baseball team (30-16) competed in the Region III Baseball Tournament, beginning Friday, May 7, as the number-three seed despite being ranked number six in the NJCAA poll. The tournament was a double elimination.
In the Vikings' first match-up against number-two seeded Niagara Community College, Ace, Alex Sardo (Chatham, Chatham), got the nod and performed brilliantly. He pitched seven innings, scattering 10 hits and only giving up two earned runs. The Viking offense backed up their pitcher as Mike McCrone (Whitney Point, Binghamton) tied the game up at two with a solo jack and then knocked in two more runs for a 4-2 lead. The Vikings went on to shut the door on Niagara, 6-3.
Hudson Valley then played Herkimer in the winners' game of the tournament on Saturday, May 8, but never got on track and fell to the Generals 11-3. The loss gave the Vikings a second game on Saturday against Mohawk Valley who eliminated Niagara in the losers' bracket game. After an early dog fight, the Vikings were able to withstand the Hawks' flurry of runs to come away with the 11-8 victory.
This win put Hudson Valley up against undefeated Herkimer again, a match-up in which the Vikings had to defeat Herkimer twice for the Region III Title. Hudson Valley fell short in the effort, losing the first game, 10-4. Herkimer's offensive power was too much for the Vikings to handle.
Sardo, McCrone and Bobby Peluso (Columbia, East Greenbush) were named to the All Region III Tournament team for their efforts. Sardo's game-one outing was one of the most impressive of the tournament, as he beat an undefeated Niagara pitcher. McCrone went 8-17 (.471) in four games with two homeruns, five RBIs, five runs scored and a .500 on-base percentage. Peluso also had a stellar tournament, going 7-16 (.438), three doubles, four RBIs, two runs scored and an on-base percentage of .526.