The Genesee Community College baseball team took one of two games against No. 2 nationally ranked Niagara County CC in a doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon. The Cougars won game one 7-4 and fell in the nightcap 12-7.
Genesee scored four times in the bottom of the first after spotting Niagara a run on a solo home run in the top of the inning. The Cougars took advantage of three NCCC errors in the field and got hits from Brandon Henshaw, Casey Guary and Brandon Stephens to jump in front early.
Josh Porter got the start on the mound in game one. The sophomore went five innings and allowed three runs on five hits and struck out three.
GCC extended its lead in the second with three more runs on three hits. Henshaw delivered the big blow, a two run double, and Rodolfo Rodriguez plated a run with a sacrifice fly to give the Cougars a 7-1 lead after two.
Porter faced trouble in the third after allowing a leadoff double, and eventually surrendered two runs in the frame on two hits and two walks. His day ended in the fifth after he erased a pair of baserunners with a lineout double play.
The Cougars managed just three hits in the final four innings but got two strong innings of relief from the bullpen to hold off the Thunderwolves.
Andrew Shapiro was next in line after Porter, and allowed one Niagara run in the sixth. NCCC then brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh against Jacob Cross, but the right hander got a strikeout and a lineout with runners on the corners to end the game.
Henshaw went 2-4 with two RBI's and two runs scored, Henry Delgado picked up a hit in four at bats and scored twice, Stephens went 2-2 with two singles and Cory Regnet picked up a pair of singles in three at bats.
Delgado scored a run in the bottom of the first in game two to give GCC an early lead and drove in a run with an RBI single in the second. Imanuel Gonzalez delivered a sacrifice fly in the second that scored Regnet to put Genesee in front 3-0, but NCCC loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the third and scored five runs in the inning to take the lead for good.
Guary took the loss on the mound, lasting into the fourth inning but giving up nine runs on eight hits.
Trailing 12-3 in the sixth, the Cougars rallied to score four times in the frame to cut the Thunderwolves lead down to four, but that was as close as it got and GCC went quietly in the seventh. Manuel Tejeda highlighted the sixth with a three run double and finished the game 1-4.
Delgado went 2-5, DeFelice added a pair of hits and scored two runs, Regnet scored twice and went 1-2 and Gonzalez ended game two 1-1 with a pair of walks and a run scored.
Genesee (27-17) will end its regular season on Thursday with a doubleheader against Finger Lakes CC. The game will be played at GCC but FLCC will be the home team. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
