(Valhalla, NY) - It was literally the most consequential weekend of games for the Westchester Community College Baseball team in years, and when the final out was finally recorded to complete a thrilling 7-6 win over UConn-Avery Point during Sunday's nightcap, a message was sent that the Vikings are once again a contender. Not only did Westchester end a weekend of thrillers with a win, but they took three out of four games during a single season from the Pointers for the first time since anybody can remember ... if ever.
After winning back-to-back 5-2 games at UConn-Avery Point on Saturday, Westchester returned home on Sunday for another twin-bill, and quickly realized why the Pointers have entrenched themselves as the premiere program in the district for years on end. While Westchester had all of the momentum in the world, UConn had a pitcher by the name of Keegan Daigle with an electric right arm that stymied the Vikings from the start. For the first six inning, Daigle proved to be virtually unhittable, and despite a terrific effort by Westchester pitcher
Thomas Browne (Pleasantville, NY/Pleasantville HS), the Vikings trailed 5-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.
And, as they have done all season to this point ... the Vikings rallied.
With two on and one out, freshman
Anthony Dolce (North Salem, NY/North Salem HS) doubled home
Don Hopper (Garrison, NY/Walter Panas HS) to make it a 5-1 game. Freshman
Patrick Poggi (Briarcliff, NY/Briarcliff HS) followed with a pinch hit, RBI single to make it 5-2. Freshman
Michael Ambrosecchia (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac HS) - who had a spectacular all-around weekend for the Vikings - hit a sacrifice fly, to make it 5-3.
With two outs, freshman
Weston Baronian (River Vale, NJ/Pascack Valley HS) doubled home freshman
Nick Alvarez (Yonkers, NY/Cardinal Hayes) to make it 5-4, putting runners at second and third. However, an
AJ Falciglia (Elmsford, NY/Stepinac) popped out to short right field to end the game.
Baronian went 2 for 4 with an RBI as seven different Vikings combined for eight hits.
Browne allowed six hits and three earned runs over six innings, striking out five, while walking only two.
The night-cap appeared to head towards a repeat of the opener as UConn-Avery Point (7-4-1) held a 4-0 lead after two innings, and seemed to be in complete control. Freshman
John Peteani (Yonkers, NY/Saunders) became the third Westchester pitcher of the game, and simply turned in a masterpiece. He did not allow an earned run over 4.1 fantastic innings, did not walk a single batter, and allowed only four hits.
Just as Peteani shut down the UConn bats, the Westchester bats came alive. Westchester scored five runs during the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 5-4 lead. Sophomore
CJ Spence (Mount Vernon, NY/Mount Vernon HS) scored an unearned run to make it 4-1, and then Ambrosecchia singled home
Bobby Beaton (White Plains, NY/Eastchester HS) and freshman
Lucas Feliciano (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas HS) to make it 4-3. Baronian then came through once again, singling home Osso and Ambrosecchia to give Westchester its first lead of the day, 5-4.
One inning later, Feliciano provided some insurance when he singled home two runners to make it a 7-4 game.
But the Pointers did not go down quietly, scoring twice during the top of the seventh inning to make it 7-6. With runners at first and second and two outs, freshman
Matt Jacobson (Putnam Valley, NY/Putnam Valley HS) induced a ground out for his first career save, to give Westchester an enormous non-region win.
Feliciano went 2 for 3 with two RBI's and a run scored, while Ambrosecchia went 1 for 3 with two RBI's and a run scored, to increase his RBI total to nine for the weekend.
But the story of the game was the effort of Peteani, who improved to 2-0 for the 2022 season. He now leads the Vikings with a 1.64 ERA.
Westchester CC returns to action on Thursday, March 31 when the Vikings welcome Sullivan Community College for a 3:30 p.m. single game. The contest will open Region XV play for both teams.
