The offense came alive for the Panthers baseball team Saturday as the team picked up its first two wins of the season, sweeping a doubleheader from Kingsborough Community College, 19-6 and 10-5. Tompkins Cortland Community College is now 2-4 this year while Kingsborough drops to 0-5.
Game 1: Tompkins Cortland 19, Kingsborough 6 (6 innings)
The Panthers pounded out 15 hits in the opener, with both Brandon Grant (Homer/Homer H.S.) and Austin Kulas (Moravia/Moravia H.S.) rapping out three hits and two RBI. Alex Babcock (Cortland/Cortland H.S.) and Jinwoo Baek (Osan-si, South Korea, Yatap) each had two hits as the team scored in each of the six innings, capped by an eight-run sixth inning that led to the early ending.
Ray Mineo (Rochester/Greece Acadia H.S.) earned his first collegiate win, going four innings and leaving with a big lead. Jacob Mosher (Pulaski/Pulaski H.S.) and Peter Miller (Fayetteville/Fayetteville-Manlius H.S.) closed out the win on the mound.
Game 2: Tompkins Cortland 10, Kingsborough 5 (8 innings)
Where the first game was never really in doubt, game two needed the Panthers to come up with some late answers. Kingsborough scored twice in the first and added a run in the third to lead 3-0. Tompkins Cortland got on the board with a run in the fourth and then plated two in the fifth to tie the game, but Kingsborough regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Trailing heading into the sixth, the Panthers came through in the sixth, tying the game at 4-4. After a scoreless seventh, the game went to extra innings where the Panthers exploded. Six runs in the top of the inning put the Panthers in control, and after holding the home team to a single run in the bottom of the inning, the sweep was completed.
Joseph Tummino (Homer/Homer H.S.) had a big game, going 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. Kulas continued his hot start to the season, with a pair of doubles while going 2-for-4. Grant also had a pair of hits, including a triple.
Ethan Buckley (Bath/Haverling H.S.) pitched well as the starter, allowing four runs (two earned) while striking out seven over the first six innings. Joey Kench (West Henrietta/Rush-Henrietta H.S.) came on in relief, striking out three and allowing one run in two innings to earn the win.
Looking ahead
The Panthers will spend another day in New York City, playing a single game Sunday against Middlesex County College. The game will be played on the Kingsborough home field.