The Tompkins Cortland Community College baseball team picked up its first wins of the year on Saturday, sweeping at doubleheader from Corning Community College, 13-2 and 4-2.  The wins improve the Panthers to 2-6 overall and 2-4 in the West Division. Corning drops to 0-12 both overall and in the West Division.

Game One: Tompkins Cortland 13, Corning 2 (6 innings)

Corning entered Saturday struggling offensively, averaging the fewest runs per game in the region (1.9). The Red Barons started strong, though, with a double to lead off the game. After a strikeout, a single scored the first run, and another single put runner on the corners with one out. Tompkins Cortland starting pitcher Gabe Fonseca (Miami, Fla./Mater Lakes Academy) came up big again the next hitter, inducing a grounder back to the box, which he turned into a 1-6-3 double play to end the threat and bring the Panthers up to bat down by just one. The deficit was eliminated quickly. Lead-off hitter Frank Marra (Millstone Township, N.N./Allentown H.S.) reached on an error, moved to second on a wild pitch, stole third, and then came in to score on a single by Ledy Alvarez (Guayaquil, Ecuador/Colegio Americano). Two more Panthers would reach base in the first, but none would score, sending the game to the second inning tied at 1-1.

Over the next three innings Fonseca would allow just one hit, and no runs to score. Meanwhile the Panthers went to work at the plate. In the second the team took advantage of three Corning errors and a walk to score two runs. The third is where the game opened up. After another Corning error, five Panthers recorded hits and the team scored five runs, opening an 8-1 gap on the scoreboard. Another run crossed in the fourth, and after Corning pushed one across in the fifth, the lead stood at 9-2. Nothing changed until the bottom of the sixth. Kannon VanDuzer (Sayre, Penn./Sayre Area H.S.) led off with a triple, and then came in to score on a single by Jeremy McGrath (Henderson Harbor/Bellevile Henderson H.S.). One out later, Brayden Ferris (Candor/Candor H.S.) drove in McGrath with a single, making the score 11-2. Jacob Bogacz (Morrisville/Morrisville-Eaton H.S.) reached on fielder's choice, putting two on with one out, and setting the stage for Nazier Smith (Williamsport, Penn./Saint John Nuemann Regional Academy) to the end the game via the 10-run rule. He delivered ripping a triple that scored both runners and started the celebration of the first win of the season.

Smith led the team with four RBI and was one of six Panthers with two hits in the opener. VanDuzer went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple, and Dan Mrowinski (Syracuse/Solvay H.S.) drove in three.

Fonseca threw four innings for the win, allowing just one earned run. Shane Smith (Groton/Groton H.S.) came in for the last two innings, allowing just one hit and no runs.

Game Two: Tompkins Cortland 4, Corning 2 

Tompkins Cortland starting pitcher Caleb Thompson (Cortland/Cortland H.S.) established control early in game two, setting down the Red Barons in order in the top of the first inning. The sophomore worked through the lineup quickly in the second inning as well before hitting a snag in the third. A leadoff hit-by-pith proved costly, as the batter eventually came around to score and give Corning the 1-0 lead. Thompson's teammates picked him up in the bottom of the inning. Bogacz reached on an error, and two outs later Alvarez lifted long fly ball over the left field fence for a two-run homer a 2-1 lead. While Thompson got back into a rhythm on the mound, shutting out the Red Barons over the next two innings, the Panthers added to their lead in the fourth.

With two outs, Ferris drew a walk and Bogacz followed with a single. Nazier Smith came through again, stroking his second triple of the day to drive in two runs and put the Panthers up 4-1 at the end of four innings. The three-run lead held into the sixth, when Corning scratched across a run on sacrifice fly to make the score 4-2. When the Panthers went down in order in the bottom of the sixth, Gabriel Gilbert (Guayaquil, Ecuador/Montessori H.S.) took the mound looking for a save in relief of Thompson.

After a strike out to start the inning, the Panthers defense opened the door for the Red Barons by committing two errors. Combined with a walk, Corning loaded the bases with two outs before Gilbert induced a grounder to first to end the threat and the game.

Thompson earned the win, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out eight over six innings. Gilbert earned the save with the scoreless sixth.

The Panthers finished the day with four triples, just the second time they have had back-to-back games with two doubles in each game (vs. Globe Institute on 3/18/15).

Looking ahead

The Panthers host Jamestown Community College Tuesday in Dryden. First pitch for the doubleheader is scheduled for 2 p.m.