Valhalla, NY – The Vikings baseball team has started 4-0 in Mid-Hudson Conference play and tied for first place thanks to a doubleheader sweep of Dutchess Community College on Saturday 15-5 and 9-3. Westchester is now 28-3 on the year.
 
Prior to the start of the first game, Westchester Athletics invited back Dr. Rachele Hall, former Interm Dean of Student Life here at SUNY Westchester, to throw out a ceremonial first pitch. Dr. Hall, who has supported all of the Vikings athletic teams, needed to check off baseball on her teams list and they produced.
 
Game 1: 15-5 W
 
The Vikings offense was ready, coming off a barrage of 24 runs scored and 20 hits against the Falcons in the first two games of the series. However, SUNY Dutchess came in ready for a battle. DCC would get on the board first off starting pitcher Jackson Kossow (Somers HS/Somers, NY). Westchester would answer right back with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the first. The Falcons would add another 4 runs knocking out Kossow in two and two thirds which brought in Ryan Osso (Eastchester HS/Eastchester, NY). Osso shut down Dutchess for the remainder of the game earning his sixth win of the year scattering two hits over his three innings of work and striking out three.
The Viking offense would be carried by none other than Marc Stockhausen (St. Raymonds HS/Bronx, NY), Tommy Poggi (Briarcliff HS/Briarcliff, NY), and Luisbert Frias (Port Chester HS/Port Chester, NY). The three would combine for six hits, six RBI's, and seven runs scored. If that wasn't impressive enough, Westchester would score in every inning until the game was called due to the mercy rule.
 
Game 2: 9-3 W
 
Game two would start off very different from game one for the Vikings. Dutchess would take an early three run lead off of starting pitcher Michael Cox (Walter Panas HS/Cortlandt Manor, NY) heading into the bottom of the third. From there the Viking offense would slowly cut down the Falcon lead to one run heading into the fifth. Westchester would score two more runs taking a four to three lead into the sixth meanwhile Cox would settle down and hold SUNY Dutchess to only three runs over his six innings pitched while fanning six.
Alvy Grullon (St. Raymond's HS/Bronx, NY) would have one of the two key-moments of the game saving a potential huge flyball double off the bat of the Falcons by making an extraordinary over-the-shoulder catch in center field. The second key moment would once again come off the bat of Frias. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth with the Vikings holding their one-run lead, Luisbert would launch a grand slam over the left-field fence to break open the game and seal the victory for Westchester.
Michael Ambrosecchia (Mahopac HS/Mahopac, NY) would relieve Cox and end the game by striking out two in an inning pitched. Cox would earn his first victory of the year.
 
 
Westchester currently is riding on a 10-game win streak heading into their next game which will be on Tuesday, April 11^th at home on Vikings Field against Manhattanville College's JV team. First pitch is slated for 3:30pm.