After losing the opener in the home team's final at bat, the Tompkins Cortland Community College baseball team bounced back to win game two to earn a doubleheader split at Erie Community College Sunday. The Panthers lost 4-3 before winning 5-1, leaving the team's record at 9-10 overall and 2-6 in the West Division. Erie is now 13-11 overall and 5-3 in the West Division.

Game 1: Erie 4, Tompkins Cortland 3

The Panthers opened the scoring in the fourth. Storm Grant (Homer/Homer H.S.) started the rally with a one-out single. One out later, Charlie Hammel (Rochester/Rush-Henrietta H.S.) blasted a double, scoring Grant and giving the Panthers the lead. Johnny Wike (Syracuse/Bishop Grimes H.S.) followed with a double, allowing Hammel to score the second run with the help of an Erie error. The 2-0 lead grew an inning later, with another two-out rally. Austin Rourke (Jacksonville, Fla./Terry Parker) drew a walk and then moved to second on a single by Alex Babcock (Cortland/Cortland H.S.). Both runners advanced to third on a double steal, and then a balk allowed Rourke to score to make it 3-0.  

The lead held until the bottom of the sixth when Erie took advantage of a pair of walks, a hit batter, and an error to rally for four runs and the lead. The Panthers put a runner on base in the seventh, but couldn't score the game-tying run.

Hammel finished the game 2-for-3 at the plate. He also started the game on the mound, throwing five scoreless innings, striking out five and allowing just one hit. Evan Plante (Albany/Christian Brother Academy) took the loss to drop to 1-1 on the year.

Game 2: Tompkins Cortland 5, Erie 1

Rourke led off game two with a single, starting a two-run rally that gave the Panthers the early lead. It would be the first of three hits for Rourke, who went 3-for-4, also reaching on a hit by pitch. The two runs in the first would also prove to be all the runs starting pitcher Curtis Wilk (Cortland/Cortland H.S.) would need. Wilk tossed a gem, going all seven innings, allowing just three hits while picking up his first win of the year.

Hammel had another good game at the plate, going 2-for-4 in game two with an RBI and two stolen bases.

The Panthers play at Corning Community College Tuesday before hosting the Red Barons on Thursday.