Winter Haven, FL — The Westchester Community College Vikings used timely hitting, patience at the plate, and strong pitching to power past Tompkins Cortland CC, 11–3, on Sunday at the Chain O' Lakes Complex.
Westchester wasted no time making an impact. After falling behind in the top half, WCC answered immediately when Austin Jorgensen(Poughkeepsie, NY/Our Lady Of Lourdes) delivered the biggest swing of the game, crushing a bases-clearing double to bring home three runs and give the Vikings early momentum. Jorgensen finished the day driving in four runs to lead the Westchester offense.
From that point on, the Vikings took control.
Westchester's offense remained patient and disciplined throughout the afternoon, drawing an impressive 11 walks and constantly applying pressure on the Panthers' pitching staff. Jason Jackson(Arlington High School) and Freddy Heymach(Pawling, NY/Pawling High School) led the effort with two walks each, while the Vikings also stayed aggressive on the base paths, swiping five stolen bases.
The depth of Westchester's lineup was on full display. Batting out of the eighth spot, Chris Echols(Somers, NY/John F. Kennedy Catholic Preparatory School) paced the team with two hits in three at-bats, helping keep rallies alive throughout the game. Jorgensen finished the day driving in four runs to lead the Westchester offense.
On the mound, Vasili Kelesidis(Stamford, CT/Stamford High School) delivered a steady performance to earn the victory. The right-hander worked five innings, allowing five hits and three runs while striking out four and walking four. After the early first-inning runs, Kelesidis settled in and kept Tompkins Cortland from building any momentum.
Justin Owens(Pleasantville,NY/Pleasantville High School) shut the door out of the bullpen, tossing two scoreless innings of relief. He allowed just one hit while striking out two and issuing no walks.
The Vikings looked to carry that momentum into game 2.
Heymach set the tone early with a double in the first inning. Westchester would then strike first when Mercer Jordan(Beacon, NY/Beacon High School) lined an RBI single to bring home the game's first run and give the Vikings an early advantage.
WCC blew the game open in the second inning with a five-run rally. Heymach delivered again, driving in two runs with a double to spark the surge. Moments later, John Avellino(New Rochelle/Salesian High School) added a two-run single, and Jordan followed with another RBI single to extend the lead and put Westchester firmly in control.
Joe Grullon(Bronx, NY/Stepinac High School) earned the win on the mound for the Vikings, pitching 4⅔ innings while allowing four hits and three runs. He struck out five and walked three while keeping Tompkins Cortland from building sustained momentum.
Tyler Senft(Greenwich, CT/Greenwich High School) was sharp out of the bullpen for Westchester, closing out the game with 2⅓ scoreless innings of relief. He allowed just one hit and did not issue a walk. He would allow the Vikings to coast to an 8-3 win.
The Vikings finished with 12 hits as a team. Jordan, Oscar Almanzar(Dominican Republic), and Gianni Generoso(Walter Panas High School) each recorded multiple hits, helping Westchester maintain steady offensive pressure throughout the afternoon.
SUNY WCC will look to keep it rolling tomorrow as they face D3 #7 ranked Oakton College in a double header. Game one will be at 9:30 AM and game 2 at 12:00 PM.
