The Tompkins Cortland Community College baseball team opened Region 3 West Division play Thursday with a road doubleheader against Jamestown Community College. The Panthers struggled on both sides of the ball, dropping the games by scores of 10-0 and 14-4. Tompkins Cortland is now 2-2 overall. Jamestown is 3-4 overall and 2-0 in the West Division.
Game One: Jamestown 10, Tompkins Cortland 0 (6 innings)
The Panthers couldn't get anything going offensively in game one, managing just four base runners on two hits and two walks. Starting pitcher Nick Cody (Cortland/Cortland H.S.) allowed single runs in the first and second innings, but Jamestown tagged him for six runs in the third. By the time he left the mound after five innings, Cody had struck out seven and allowed eight runs – just four earned – on four hits.
Dylan Higgins (Trumansburg/Charles O. Dickerson H.S.) and Parker Stein (Spencerport/Spencerport H.S.) had the hits for the Panthers in the opener.
Game Two: Jamestown 14, Tompkins Cortland 4 (6 innings)
The start was better in game two. Higgins led off the nightcap with a single and came around to score on three straight walks. Jamestown responded with a run in the bottom of the second, but the Panthers regained the lead by taking advantage of a Jamestown error in the top of the third. Jamestown answered, scoring three in the bottom of the inning to lead 4-2.
Higgins again was in the middle of the action in the fourth, stroking a two-run triple to tie the game at 4-4. The deadlock held until the bottom of the fifth when the Jayhawks exploded for six runs. Four more runs for Jamestown in the sixth ended the game by the 10-run rule.
Higgins finished game two 2-for-4 with two RBI and a triple. Brayden Ferris (Candor/Candor H.S.) also collected a pair of RBI for Tompkins Cortland. Dan Caverly (Farmington/Victor H.S.) was stuck with the loss, going five inning and striking out five. He allowed 10 runs, but just three earned.
Looking ahead
The Panthers and Jayhawks were scheduled for another doubleheader on Saturday in Dryden, but that has been postponed until Tuesday, March 29.