Lakers Advance Into Region 3 Final Four

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. — Down to their last outs, the Finger Lakes Community College baseball team rallied for a thrilling 8-7 walk-off win over Mohawk Valley Community College in Game one of Saturday's NJCAA Region 3 sub-regional at FLCC's turf complex.

FLCC trailed 7-5 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, but sophomore Zach Harter (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta) dropped an RBI single into left field to score freshman Tim McClare (Macedon, NY/Gananda) with the winning run to complete the Lakers' comeback.

In game two, FLCC (23-15) had to engineer another comeback, rallying from a 4-0 deficit to win 10-6 and advance into next weekend's NJCAA Region 3 Final Four in Little Falls, N.Y.

Game One

The Lakers ran into trouble in the first, as Mohawk put runners on second and third with nobody out. But sophomore Maxx Countryman (Fairport, NY/Avon) recovered, getting back-to-back strikeouts and a pop out to end the inning without allowing any runs.

FLCC got on the board in the home half of the first. Sophomore Lukas Haefner (Henrietta, NY/Rush-Henrietta) drew a leadoff walk and came around to score on McClare's inside-the-park home run to the wall in deep right field.

The Hawks (10-14) responded with two runs in the top of the second, but FLCC reclaimed the lead on freshman Jorge Oropeza's (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena) RBI groundout in the bottom of the frame.

FLCC extended its lead to 4-2 on a wild pitch in the fourth, and made it 5-2 when freshman Lucas Sulimowicz (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena) smacked a double to right field to drive home Harter.

Leading 5-2, Mohawk Valley scored once in the seventh and took the lead with three unearned runs in the eighth. An RBI single extended the Hawks' lead to 7-5 before FLCC staged its comeback.

In the bottom of the ninth, Haefner drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second when sophomore Devin Kelly (Clifton Springs, NY/Midlakes) walked. When freshman Grant Rodriguez (Henrietta, NY/Rush-Henrietta) laid down a sacrifice bunt, Haefner and Kelly both scored when there was a throwing error on the play. McClare was intentionally walked, advanced to second on a fielder's choice, and scored on Harter's RBI single.

Harter finished 1-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI, McClare was 1-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored, and freshman Ryan C. Smith (Fairport, NY/Fairport) was 2-for4 with a stolen base in the win.

Entering in relief of Countryman, freshman Trevor Robinson (Bloomfield, NY/Bloomfield) allowed four runs (one earned) on seven hits with six strikeouts and no walks over six effective innings. Classmate Sean Peck (Dryden, NY/Dryden) earned the win in relief of Robinson.

Game Two

Mohawk scored once in the first and tacked on three runs in the second to seize an early 4-0 lead. Once again, the Lakers would rally. Freshman Kenny Murphy (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) tripled to right field and scored FLCC's first run on Haefner's RBI singled into right field in the bottom of the second to trim the lead to 4-1.

In the third, Rodriguez doubled and Harter walked, bringing up Sulimowicz, who drove home another run with an RBI double to right field. Two more runs scored on Ryan C. Smith's single into right field, then Murphy followed with a blast over the right fielder's head. Murphy raced around the bases with FLCC's second inside-the-park homer of the day for a 6-4 lead.

The Hawks scored a run in both the fifth and sixth innings to knot the score at 6-all. But the score wouldn't be tied for long. Murphy crushed a one-out double to the gap in right center, then stole second and scored on Harter's RBI double into left field.

With the Lakers clinging to a 7-6 lead, Mohawk put runners at second and third with one out in the eighth, but freshman reliever Jim Marasco (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) induced a line out to shortstop and a groundout to third base to preserve the lead.

FLCC added three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth, scoring on a wild pitch for an 8-6 edge. Rodriguez then walked and McClare singled into center field, advancing Rodriguez to third. Harter drove in a run on a sacrifice fly while Sulimowicz laced an RBI double to right field to extend the lead to 10-6.

Mohawk Valley loaded the bases with only one out in the top of the ninth, but sophomore Alex Savory (Sodus, NY/Sodus) got back-to-back strikeouts to lift the Lakers into the Region 3 Final Four.

In game two, Haefner, Sulimowicz, Smith and Murphy each drove in two runs, while Murphy added three hits and Haefner, Rodriguez, McClare, Sulimowicz had two hits apiece to pace the Lakers.

Freshmen Josh Ferris (Chili, NY/Churchville-Chili) and Justin Kuebel (Hilton, NY/Hilton) and Marasco and Savory combined to toss seven innings of two-run ball. Kuebel earned the win, allowing only an unearned run on two hits with six strikeouts over three innings, while Savory recorded his fifth save.