CONTACT: Adam Sopris, a.sopris@hvcc.edu, 518-629-7898 or 518-416-2137
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Tuesday, May 9, 2023
The Hudson Valley Community College baseball program closed out the 2023 regular season with a road split against Mohawk Valley on Tuesday afternoon in Utica, NY.
GAME ONE: Hudson Valley 9, Mohawk Valley 6 (Final)
The first game was a fight among two quality programs trying to secure a postseason berth and Mohawk Valley head the Vikings on their heels before Hudson Valley pulled away with three runs in the final two innings to secure the 20th win in league play and 25-17 overall.
In the sixth inning, Mike Talavera and Josh Foglia reach base via a walk and a hit-by-pitch, respectively before Juan Abreu grounds out to second base, allowing Talavera to score the go-ahead run. The next batter, Connor Waiting continued his hot hitting with an RBI single to leftfield to drive in Foglia. Hudson Valley scored again in the seventh on a Mohawk Valley error for the additional insurance run. Waiting finished the game hitting 3-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs and two runs scored, which included a solo home run in the top of the second inning.
Richie Tamsett was credited with the win as he tossed three innings and allowed four runs on five hits while striking out two batters. Kwintin Nurse closed out the game and earned the save after pitching the final two innings in relief.
GAME TWO: Mohawk Valley 9, Hudson Valley 4 (Final)
In the final game of the regular season, the Vikings were led by Anthony Rizzo, who accumulated three hits and drove in two runs as the leadoff hitter. Carson Patrick joined Rizzo as the only two Vikings to record multiple hits in game two.
As a team, Hudson Valley scored four runs and collected eight total hits. The Vikings jumped out early with a 2-0 advantage in the first inning behind clutch hitting from Rizzo, Foglia, Patrick and Paul Fernandez. They each recorded singles in the inning with Patrick and Fernandez collecting the RBIs to drive in Rizzo and Foglia, respectively.
Later in the sixth, Rizzo was back in the picture as he connected for a 2-RBI double to centerfield to score Dominick Pontore and Colin Lynch and they cut into the deficit, trailing 8-4 as the game entered the final inning of the game.
Albert Vargas earned the start on the mound for the Vikings and tossed three innings and gave up four runs on six hits. Stephen Croft, Pontore and Patrick combined to close out the final four innings of the game in relief.
ON DECK:
The Vikings finished the season winning 17 of their final 20 games of the season to catapult into the No. 2 seed in the East Division of the NJCAA Region 3 standings. The second-place finish gives Hudson Valley a best-of-three home series against the No. 3 seed from the West Division, projected to be Genesee, beginning on Saturday, May 13 beginning at 10 AM at Joe Bruno Stadium. The official postseason schedule is set to be released on Wednesday, May 10.