(North East, MD) - Freshman Thomas Mark (Patterson, NY/Brewster HS) opened the 2022 season with a complete-game gem, and freshman Weston Baronian (River Vale, NJ/Pascack Valley HS) went a combined 4 for 5 with two runs scored, as the Westchester Community College Baseball team earned a season-opening split with Cecil College on Saturday, Feb. 26. The Vikings won the opener 6-0 before dropping the nightcap 7-4. 

Playing for the first time in 715 days, as much of the 2020 season and the entirety of the 2021 season were canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Vikings wasted no time picking up where they left off nearly two full years ago. Westchester CC scored four times during the top of the first inning, highlighted by an RBI triple by Luisbert Frias (Port Chester, NY/Port Chester HS), and a bases loaded walk by Jace Deiulio (Mohegan Lake, NY/Lakeland HS).

The four-run cushion was more than enough for Mark, who dominated Cecil College from the start. The rookie allowed two hits over nine innings, striking out nine, while walking four batters.

Frias went 3 for 4 with two RBI's and two runs scored, including a sixth inning home run, while Baronian went 2 for 2 and scored twice. 

In the nightcap, Cecil scored two runs in the bottom of the second and the bottom of the third innings to take a 4-3 lead after three, but that was as close as the Vikings would make the game as Cecil scored another run in the fifth, and two in the sixth, to put the game away. Baronian and Anthony Dolce (North Salem, NY/North Salem HS) each had two hits, with Dolce smacking a sixth-inning home run to make it a 5-4 game. Baron reached base safely three times.

Freshman Ryan Osso (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester HS) scattered six hits over five innings, allowing five earned runs, while striking out four.

Westchester CC and Cecil CC return to action on Sunday, Feb. 27 for a 12:00 p.m. doubleheader.