Through the first 14 games of the season, the Tompkins Cortland Community College baseball team had only been shut out once heading into Sunday's doubleheader at Finger Lakes Community College. But on Sunday, the normally reliable offense had a bad day and the Panthers were shutout in both games, losing 4-0 and 7-0. Tompkins Cortland is now 3-13 overall and 3-9 in the Mid-State Athletic Conference. Finger Lakes improves to 27-8 overall and 14-0 in the MSAC.
Game One: Finger Lakes 4, Tompkins Cortland 0
Pitching was the name of the game in the opener. Tompkins Cortland starting pitcher Caleb Thompson (Cortland/Cortland H.S.) and reliever Gabe Fonseca (Miami, Fla./Mater Lakes Academy) combined to limit the Lakers to just four runs on seven hits. Both threw three innings, and threw well enough to keep the Panthers in the game. Finger Lakes scored three in the first inning, but then Thompson and Fonseca held the home team off the board until the sixth when they pushed across another insurance run. Ultimately, the good pitching for the Panthers wasn't enough as the Lakers received outstanding pitching, holding the Panthers hitless. Just one Panthers reached based on an error, but he was erased on a caught stealing and the Panthers finished the game scoreless.
Game Two: Finger Lakes 8, Tompkins Cortland 1
The bats remained quiet for the Panthers in the first two innings of game two, and Finger Lakes took advantage. In the bottom of the first, the Lakers took advantage of a two-out error to score five unearned runs and take the lead. Tompkins Cortland finally collected its first hit of the day when Brayden Ferris (Candor/Candor H.S.) led off the third with a single. He eventually advanced to third as the Panther loaded the bases, but all three runners were stranded. The Panthers put a runner in scoring position again in the fourth and seventh innings, but each time the runner was left on the bases, leaving the Panthers scoreless for the second time on Sunday.
In addition to Ferris, Frank Marra (Millstone Township, N.J./Allentown H.S.) and Jacob Bogacz (Morrisville/Morrisville-Eaton H.S.) also had singles in game two.
Looking ahead
The Panthers head to Batavia on Tuesday for a doubleheader with Genesee Community College.