Box Score (Valhalla, NY) - If the Westchester Community College Baseball team is to capture the Region XV Championship for the fifth straight season, this might be the game they will remember as the one that proved they had the goods to overcome anything to be a champion. For so long, nothing went right. Even when things seemed to be going right, the Vikings found ways to squander opportunities. But what really mattered on Thursday at Viking Field was that when the chips were down, the Vikings - virtually every Viking in uniform - made a big play, and when sophomore Sergio Osorio (North White Plains, NY/Valhalla HS) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, Bobby Wooten (Ardsley, NY/Ardsley HS) pounced on home plate, and WCC earned the hardest of hard-fought victories, 13-12 over Rockland Community College.

With the win, the Vikings improve to 22-10 for the 2018 season, having won seven of their last eight games. More importantly, WCC is now one win over Rockland away from clinching the Mid Hudson Conference Championship, and earning the top seed for next weekend's Region XV Championships. The two teams play each other one more time in Valhalla on Friday at 3:30 p.m., and twice at Rockland on Saturday to close the 2018 regular season.

At no point was this game comfortable for either team, both figuratively and literally. After spending much of the season playing in winter-like conditions, the teams played in August heat on Thursday as temperatures approached triple digits, and humidity levels soared. The heat impacted the game significantly as two teams known for stout defense and solid pitching combined for 20 walks, three hit batsmen, and four errors. The result was a game that was sloppy at times, but thrilling almost every pitch.

Westchester trailed 4-3 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, when the Vikings rallied for four runs to take the lead. Osorio walked, and was brought home when Scottie Giordano (Croton on Hudson, NY/Croton HS) launched a home run to right field to give WCC a 5-4 lead. James Houlahan (Yorktown Heights, NY/Lakeland HS) reached on an error, and with two outs, Bobby Wootten (Ardsley, NY/Ardsley HS) drilled a pitch into the right centerfield gap to bring Houlahan all the way around to score for a 6-4 lead. A CJ Sager (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac HS) single brought Wootten home for a 7-4 lead.

Rockland would not go down quietly as the Hawks scored a run in the fifth inning, and four more times during the sixth inning to go ahead 9-7 as the Vikings pitching staff struggled with control. 

In the bottom of the seventh inning, WCC erupted for five more runs to storm ahead again. Giordano doubled with the bases loaded to drive in two runs and a Paul Franzese (Somers, NY/Somers HS) single scored Giordano to make it 11-9. Wooten singled home Franzese for a 12-9 lead, and the Vikings seemed to be in command.

But the lead was short lived as Rockland battled back for three runs without a single hit during the top of the eighth inning to tie the game at 12. Giordano, who walked four batters during the eighth inning, remained on the mound for the ninth inning, and held the fort, allowing a potential go-ahead double, but nothing else. That set the stage for Osorio and company to send fans home happy, in walk-off fashion.

Christian Lovecchio (North White Plains, NY/Valhalla HS) opened up with a hit by pitch, but was retired on a fielder's choice by Wootten, who beat the throw to first. A Sager walk moved Wootten to second base. With two outs, Sean Vanegas (Bronx, NY/Mount St. Michael) walked to load the bases, bringing up Osorio. The WCC shortstop was promptly hit by a pitch to drive home the winning run, and end the game. The walk-off RBI was Osorio's second of the season as he singled home the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning during a 5-4 win over Suffolk Community College on March 28.

Giordano went 2 for 3 with four RBI's, two walks, and three runs scored. He also allowed only a single run during two innings of work on the mound to earn his third win of the 2018 season.

Also for Westchester, Franzese and Wootten each went 2 for 6. Franzese drove home a run and scored a run, while Wootten scored twice and drove in three. Sager went 2 for 4 with two walks. 

Osorio, who played the hero role in the end, went 2 for 4 with a walk, scored twice, and drove in two runs.

The two teams return to action in Valhalla on Friday at 3:30 with a potential championship on the line. As temperatures are expected to spike again, anything can happen.