North East, MD – The Vikings Baseball team traveled down to Cecil College for their annual Maryland trip this past weekend. Typically, this four-game series opens up Westchester's season, however with the unusually warm weather that the Northeast has had, SUNY WCC already had two games under their belt. Just like the weather, the Viking bats stayed quite warm in all four games against the Seahawks. In their series, Westchester averaged nine hits per game and just under 11 runs per game.
 
Game 1 (2/24): 11-8 W
 
You would think a 6 o'clock departure would be an instant mood killer traveling roughly three hours away. At first, the Vikings came out a bit sluggish being down 4-1 heading into the fifth inning. Michael Ambrosecchia (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac HS) started off the top of the fifth with reaching on a past ball on strike three. Luisbert Frias (Port Chester, NY/Port Chester HS) would then get hit by a pitch followed by a Marc Stockhausen (Bronx, NY/St. Raymond's HS) walk would bring up Tommy Poggi (Briarcliff, NY/Briarcliff HS). Poggi ripped a two-RBI double to left field putting the Vikings down one. The next batter, Gavin Carlucci (Garrison, NY/Walter Panas HS), would get a sacrifice fly to right field to score Stockhausen to tie the game with two innings to go. Westchester would take the lead in the sixth inning with three combined RBI's from Ambrosecchia, Stockhausen, and Carlucci respectively. Cecil would come back in the bottom of the sixth with two runs of their own to tie the game back at seven. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Seahawks would put runners on first and second with no outs. Cecil would get a base hit and Stockhausen would save the game by throwing out the runner at the plate. Top of the eight inning comes the magical moment for the Vikings. Frias would get on base via an error and Poggi would walk. Ryan Osso (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester HS) came up to bat and with one swing, the ball flew over the left field fence to put the Vikings up 10 to six.
Jackson Kossow (Yorktown Heights, NY/Somers HS) threw five innings scattering four hits and two earned runs while striking out eight in the victory.
 
Game 2 (2/24): 10-2 W
 
The Viking bats would really come alive in game two of the Friday doubleheader. Westchester would be led by Weston Baronian (River Vale, NJ/Pascack Valley HS) who went three for three with five RBI's, Michael Manganiello (Yonkers, NY/Archbishop Stepinac HS) who went two for three with a solo homerun and Luisbert Frias who added to the homerun tally with a three-run shot. Pitching wise, sophomore Thomas Mark (Patterson, NY/Brewster HS) collected his first victory of the year throwing four innings of work allowing five hits, two earned runs and striking out six.
 
Game 3 (2/26): 12-1 W
 
After a day off due to unseasonable weather, the Vikings would get back right where they left off. The offense fired off 13 hits in the game and were led by Frias who went three for five, three runs scored, Stockhausen who went three for four with two runs scored, and Carlucci who went two for three with three RBI's. Thomas Browne (Pleasantville, NY/Pleasantville HS) once again shined on the mound going six innings only giving up three hits and one earned run while striking out five and walking one.
 
Game 4 (2/26): 10-7 W
 
The final game of the series didn't disappoint. The Vikings would be in a back and forth battle with the Seahawks throughout six innings of the game. Heading into the top of the seventh inning, Westchester would be down seven to six. Lusibert would get on base via a single up the middle. He then would steal second and third base setting up a great opportunity for the game tying run. Carlucci would walk giving the Vikings runners on first and third with one out with Matt Antolino (Bedford, NY/Fox Lane HS) coming to bat. Antolino would single to left field scoring Frias tying the game which would bring up the next batter, Ryan Osso. Just like in game number one on Friday, Osso would come up big in the clutch. He would hit another single to left field scoring Carlucci putting SUNY WCC up one in the last inning. Two more insurance runs would come from the at-bat from Anthony Dolce (North Salem, NY/North Salem HS) who singled in both Antolino and Osso.
Osso would ultimately get the win in relief for the Vikings while Ambrosecchia would come in for his first save of the season.
 
 
The Vikings (6-0) look to continue their hot hitting on Wednesday March 1^st when they travel out to Suffolk Community College for a 2:30pm game. Weather could be a factor since old-man winter looks to put his foot down for the first significant snowfall of the winter season.