Stack, Latona lead Tribunes to DH sweep

ROCHESTER - The MCC baseball team took a pair of games from visiting Tompkins Cortland Community College Wednesday, winning one in blowout fashion while walking off with a nail-biter in the other.

Freshman Collin Stack tossed a complete game shutout as the Tribunes won game one 10-0. The game was shortened to five innings due to the mercy rule.

Monroe then picked up an exciting 3-2 victory in the nightcap as Jimmy Latona was hit by a pitch with a full count, two outs, and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh.

MCC has won four in a row and improves to 8-10 on the season.

Stack was dominant in the opener, allowing no runs on one hit while walking just one and striking out seven in the complete game effort. He got all the help he needed - and then some - during a nine-run fourth inning.

Angel Diaz and Andrew Segar got things rolling in the fourth with RBI singles. Luke Brust then came through with a two-run base hit to make it 5-0.

A Tommy LaCongo double plated another run before TC3 retired two straight batters. The Tribunes then continued the rally.

Ellington Hopkins singled in LaCongo, and then came around to score himself on a triple by Latona. David Vaccaro capped the inning with a two-run, inside-the-park home run.

Diaz finished 3-for-3 and LaCongo and Latona added two hits apiece.

Latona was right in the middle of the action in a dramatic game two. The sophomore hit a go-ahead solo home run to stake the Tribunes to a 2-1 lead leading off the bottom of the sixth.

Afther the Panthers tied the game in the top half of the seventh, the Tribunes put together a rally to win it.

LaCongo worked a one-out walk before Hunter Merrill reached on a fielder's choice in which LaCongo beat the throw to second to give Monroe two runners aboard.

After a strikeout, Hopkins earned a two-out walk to load the bases and bring Latona to the plate. Latona worked the count full before being hit by the next offering to force in the winning run.

MCC's first run in the game came in the bottom of the first, as Hopkins singled, stole second and third, and scored on a hit by Vaccaro.

Alex Bellardini got the win in relief. Kyle McKay started and went three innings, allowing one unearned run on three hits.