Batavia, NY – The Genesee Community College Cougars baseball team faced the Hagerstown Hawks in a doubleheader on Wednesday in Florida. The Cougars would take both games (10-4, 6-4) to start their season 2-0. The Hawks would fall to 5-8 overall.
Game 1: The Cougars and Hawks remained tied for the first two innings as each team tried to find their rhythm. In the third, Genesee struck first, scoring two runs in the top of the inning, while continuing to hold Hagerstown off the board. The teams would trade runs in the bottom of the fourth & top of the fifth. Genesee would break the game open in the top of the sixth, scoring five runs to extend their lead to 8-1. Hagerstown would score on in the bottom of the sixth, however the Cougars would tack on two more in the top of the seventh. The Hawks tried to rally, however they would fall short, tacking on two in the bottom of the seventh to end the game 10-4.
Sophomore Ty Woods earned the win for the Cougars, putting in five innings over work, allowing just two hits and one run, while striking out three. The Cougars had four players who scored two runs, with freshman Anthony Brotz helping lead them with five RBI's. For Hagerstown, sophomore James Walsh suffered the loss, giving up three hits and two runs over four innings while striking out two. Sophomore Chance Phillips led the offense for the Hawks with three runs on two hits and two walks.
Game 2: Over the first two innings the Cougars and Hawks traded scoring opportunities, with Genesee taking the early lead in the bottom of the second. In the top of the third, Hagerstown would take their first lead of the game at 4-3. After a scoreless fourth inning, the Cougars would hold the Hawks off the board in the top of the fifth, before scoring to tie the game at four in the bottom of the inning. Going into the seventh tied at four, Genesee held the Hawks off the board to set up a potential walkoff situation. That walkoff would come at the hands of Zavian Crosby,hitting a two-run homerun to give the Cougars the 6-4 victory.
The Cougars are in action again on Thursday, March 16th for a doubleheader against Suffolk Community College. Those games are set to start at 1 & 3:30 PM in Florida.
