(Valhalla, NY) - After 48 hours of weather-related delays, and another 90 minutes of setbacks as the field was prepared for an afternoon of baseball in the coldest and wettest conditions imaginable for the final day of April, Westchester Community College freshman pitcher Michael Cox (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas HS) had every reason for a let-down on Monday. But, instead of finding reasons to falter, Cox found his rhythm, pitching a two-hit complete-game gem as Westchester Community College notched its ninth consecutive win, 9-1 over Dutchess Community College at Vikings Field.

After dropping the nightcap, 3-2, the Vikings are now 22-10 overall, and 9-6 in Mid Hudson Conference and Region XV play.

While the opener was a mercy rule victory for the Vikings after a late offensive barrage, the story of the game was actually Cox as he improved to 5-3. Cox allowed two hits and a run during a sloppy top of the first inning, and then did not allow a hit the rest of the way, striking out three. After a mid-season slide during which he allowed 17 earned runs over four games, Cox has buckled down. During his last five outings, Cox is 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA, and has struck out 17 while walking only six batters.

Down 1-0 heading into the bottom of the first inning, Westchester quickly took the lead. Sophomore Steve Guzman (Bronx, NY/John F. Kennedy HS) led off with a triple, and later scored on a CJ Spence (Mount Vernon, NY/Mount Vernon HS) single to tie things. An Aaron Roman (Pelham, NY/Pelham HS) single brought home Steve Messerschmitt (Carmel, NY/Carmel HS) for a 2-1 lead. An inning later, freshman Jhojandy Hernandez (Bronx, NY/Salesian) scored an unearned run to make it 3-1.

Speaking of unearned runs, the score remained 3-1 until the bottom of the fifth inning when Westchester scored five of them, thanks to a crucial Dutchess error that turned a routine fly out into a huge opportunity for the Vikings. The key hit was a bases load double by Tyler Parshley (Carmel, NY/Carmel HS) that scored Roman and Spence to make it 5-1, and the lead eventually became 9-1, allowing Westchester to end things in the sixth inning.

Six Vikings combined for nine hits with Parshley going 2 for 3 with two RBI's and a run scored, while Spence went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored, while Guzman went 2 for 3 with a run scored. Also for the Vikings, Hernandez and Messerschmitt each scored twice.

The nightcap was a thriller to say the least as an old fashioned pitcher's duel ensued, featuring Viking freshman Hector Camacho (Harrison, NY/Harrison HS) and the top pitcher from Dutchess CC. The Falcons led 1-0 heading into the top of the sixth inning when a small-ball infused two-run rally appeared to put Dutchess ahead for good ... at least it seemed that way. Westchester battled back to load the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning, only to end the frame with two consecutive strike outs and no runs scored.

An inning later, Gonzalez led off with a double, and a error during Parshley's next at-bat plated Gonzalez to make it 3-1. Sean Vanegas (Bronx, NY/Mount St. Michael) promptly singled home Parshley to make it 3-2 with nobody out. A Hernandez single put the winning run on base without an out recorded, and the Vikings actually loaded the bases with one out, but Dutchess's bullpen rose to the occasion, retiring two straight batters for the win.

Camacho was brilliant, allowing one earned runs over five innings, and the Viking bullpen allowed only a single earned run over two innings, however, the Westchester bats were held to only five hits. Messerschmitt went 1 for 1 with two walks.

Up next for the Vikings is their final series of the 2019 regular season, against Sullivan Community College. Play commences on Thursday, May 2 when the teams meet at 3:30 p.m. at Sullivan. Westchester and Dutchess has one more game to complete their series as well. All schedule announcements will be posted to GoWCCVikings.com and all Westchester CC Athletic Department Social Media vehicles.