MCC, Dean College Split Doubleheader
MANCHESTER – (March 21, 2009) Dean College needed ten innings Saturday afternoon in Manchester, sneaking by MCC 3-2 in the first game before the Cougars gained the split in the second with a 7-2 win.
Dan Nelson (Glastonbury) struck out six and left the first of two scheduled seven-inning game with one out in the eighth of a 2-2 game. Tyler Wenz (Ogdensburg, NJ) pitched 2 2/3 innings in relief, stranding an inherited runner at second in the eighth and another in the ninth. Dean scored the game winner on a sacrifice fly in the 10th.
“The pitchers did well again,” MCC head Coach Chris Strahowski said. “Today, the hitters didn’t generate as much offense as I anticipated, but that’s alright, it’s still March.”
Dean College pitchers Kevin Pettine and James Hamilton combined for sixteen strikeouts. Both Manchester runs scored on fielder’s choices in the second inning off the bats of Alan Fredriksson (Torrington) and Vin Sommo (Clinton).
In the second game, MCC (3-1) took advantage of a pair of Dean (8-3) errors when they scored three unearned runs in the top of the first inning and cruised behind starter John White (Rockville) and Steve Simon (Middlefield). White (1-0) worked the first 4 1/3 inning while Simon picked up the save with 2 2/3 innings of two-hit, shutout baseball.
Peter Burgio (Bolton) had a single and a double, scored two runs, stole a base and drove in the seventh Cougar run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning. Catcher A.J. Lowers (Newington) was 2 for 2, walked and scored two runs. Fredricksson was 3 for 8 with a pair of runs batted, stole a base and scored a run in the two games.
“We are going to be in very good shape the next couple of weeks,” Strahowski said. “We have a real big test next week, playing eight games in five or six days and we’ll see what we are made of by the end of next week definitely.”
Meanwhile, Dean and MCC square off in the rubber game of the three game set on Sunday (March 22) at McCormick Field on the MCC campus. The nine-inning game is scheduled to start at noon.
The Cougars start their Region XXI Division III title defense on Tuesday when Quinsigamond visits Manchester (3:30pm) to conclude MCC’s six-game home stand. The Cougars travel to CCRI on Wednesday afternoon, then play consecutive double headers on Friday vs. Brookdale CC in Lincroft, NJ; Saturday vs. Adirondack CC in Glens Falls, NY; then host Eastern Connecticut’s sub-varsity for a pair of non-region games Sunday.
Game 1
Dean College 3 Manchester Community College 2
at Manchester, CT
Dean College 020 000 000 1—– 3 8 0
Manchester CC 003 000 000 0—– 2 6 0
D: Kevin Pettine James Hamilton (8) and Samuel Dorman M: Dan Nelson, Tyler Wenz (8) and James McGowan WP: Hamilton LP: Wenz; Records: D: 8-2, M:2-1.
Game 2
Manchester Community College 7 Dean College 2
at Manchester, CT
Dean College 000 011 0—– 2 7 4
Manchester CC 310 111 X —– 7 9 0
D: Benjamin Hastings,Vincent Colucci II and Samuel Dorman M: John White, Steve Simon (5) and A.J. Lowers WP: White LP: Hastings; Records: D: 8-3, M:3-1.
