CONTACT: Adam Sopris, a.sopris@hvcc.edu, 518-629-7898 or 518-416-2137
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Thursday, March 24, 2022
The Hudson Valley Community College baseball team earned a 5-3 win in its home opener over quality NJCAA Division II program in Ulster Community College at Joe Bruno Stadium on Thursday afternoon.
The single 9-inning game had a great deal of excitement, which was highlighted by a big three-run inning by Hudson Valley to complete the come from behind victory. Jacob Lapham set the pace early with a 1-2-3 inning with Lapham striking out the side.
In the second inning, Ulster broke the scoreless tie when they scored following a bases-loaded double-play, which allowed the Senators to go up 1-0 on the Vikings. In the fourth inning, the Senators extended its lead to 2-0 from a solo home run by Ulster's Traenkle.
At the bottom of fourth, the Vikings started to claw back into the game. Following back-to-back singles by Jaden Ross and Mike Talavera, the Vikings pulled off a fake steal to second, drawing the throw from the Senators catcher, which allowed Ross to score from third. Talavera was eventually caught stealing, but Ross had crossed the plate before the final out was record and the Vikings now trailed 2-1.
Ulster scored again in the top of the sixth inning from a sacrifice fly by I. Sicker, going up 3-1 on the Vikings, but they never wavered as they responded with the game-changing three-run sixth inning. Hudson Valley scored three runs on three hits and was highlighted by a Jack Defayette triple and a RBI double by Talavera. Talavera later scored on an opposite field single by Josh Foglia to cap the big inning.
Luis Misla entered the game in the sixth inning, replacing Lapham's strong start. Misla shutdown the Senators and tossed four hitless innings, walked four and struck out nine batters to secure the team's second win of the season.
Up next for the Vikings is a home double-header against County College of Morris on Tuesday, March 29 with the first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. at Joe Bruno Stadium on the campus of Hudson Valley Community College.