(Loch Sheldrake, NY) - Even in the midst of of one of the most challenging days the Westchester Community College Baseball team has faced in several weeks, there was cause to celebrate. Two years after a freshman campaign that saw him hit .385 to help lead the Vikings to a conference and region championship, and after sitting out the season a year ago, during the second inning of the opening game of Thursday's doubleheader at Sullivan Community College, sophomore Steve Guzman (Bronx, NY/John F. Kennedy HS) lined a single up the middle to bring in a run, and give Westchester a 3-2 lead. And while the play was one of many during two mainly forgettable games on Thursday, it was one play that Guzman will always take with him. The base hit was the 100th of Guzman's career, allowing the Viking shortstop to take a place among the all-time great baseball players to ever play for Westchester Community College. Guzman would later collect his 101st career hit, drive in three runs, and score a run, but Sullivan won the opener 12-8, and notched a 9-1 win in the nightcap.

With their third straight loss, the Vikings are now 22-12 overall, and 9-8 in Mid Hudson Conference and Region XV play. While Westchester remains in second place in the region, their remaining three games will go a long way to determine playoff seeding.

The opener saw the Viking bats come alive for 12 hits and eight runs, but defense proved to be the culprit for the Vikings. Westchester made a combined six errors, leading to six unearned runs for the Generals, and providing the difference between a win and a loss for Westchester. The Vikings led 2-0 entering the bottom of the first inning, 4-2 entering the bottom of the third inning, and 5-4 entering the bottom of the fourth inning, but Sullivan scored seven straight runs to blow the game wide open.

Freshman CJ Spence (Mount Vernon, NY/Mount Vernon HS) and sophomore Sean Vanegas (Bronx, NY/Mount St. Michael) had three hits apiece, with Vanegas scoring three runs, and freshman Aaron Roman (Pelham, NY/Pelham HS) reached base twice and scored a run.

Sophomore Dylan Sabia (Mahopac, NY/Iona Prep) gave Westchester five solid innings on the mound, allowing only three earned runs while striking out seven, but was undone by his defense, which led to five unearned runs.

The nightcap saw the Vikings jump out to a quick 1-0 lead, but Sullivan responded with a seven-run rally during the bottom of the first inning, and cruised from there. Roman drove in Guzman for Westchester's only run. The story of the game for the Vikings was a heroic performance by freshman Jake Jempty (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas HS) in relief as he pitched a magnificent 4.1 innings, allowing only two runs. Jempty gave the Vikings a chance to mount a comeback, but the Sullivan pitching staff proved to be just a bit too much as the Generals allowed a combined five hits.

Westchester CC and Sullivan CC return to action on Saturday, May 4 when the two teams meet for a doubleheader at Westchester Community College at 12:00 p.m. The game will mark the final regular season home game for the Vikings' sophomore class.