Tribs, Cougars split a pair

ROCHESTER - A pair of comebacks highlighted a doubleheader split between Monroe Community College and Genesee Community College Saturday afternoon.

The Tribunes rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to top the Cougars 5-2 in the opener. Genesee then returned the favor in the nightcap, coming back from five runs down to take game two 10-7.

Monroe is 2-2 on the year. The Tribs are right back at it Sunday, hosting Tompkins Cortland Community Colleg ein a twinbill starting at 1 p.m.

Genesee got an unearned run in the first and tacked on another run in the top of the second to take the early lead in game one. MCC then responded with a big two-out rally in the bottom of the third to erase the deficit.

Ryan Bothwell started the inning with a walk and later stole second. the next two Tribunes went down in order before leadoff hitter Alex Saville worked a walk to put a pair of runners on.

Matt Brooks then came through with a loud triple to tie the game at two.  That was followed by a long, two-run homer by Connor Lewis to deep left to give Monroe a 4-2 lead.

MCC tacked on another two-out run in the fifth, as John Ricotta singled to plate Saville and make it 5-2. 

The Monroe pitching took care of the rest. Luke Tomczyk went five innings to get the win, allowing just one earned run while striking out six in five innings. Tyler Riehl came on to toss two scoreless innings to get the save.

After spotting the Cougars a run in the top of the first of game two, Monroe erupted for six runs in the bottom of the half to seemingly take control.

Saville led off with an infield single and moved to second on a Brooks walk. After a fielder's choice, Ricotta singled to right to tie the game at one.

Ricotta then stole second ahead of a ground-rule double down the left-field line by Luke Brust that plated two to make it 3-1.

Braden Passmore then walked and both runners moved up as the ball got away. Bothwell then followed with a two-run single to make it 5-1. Anthony Santoro was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Saville hit a long sacrifice fly to center to cap the scoring.

The Cougars slowly worked into the lead, however, scoring single runs in the second and third before tying it up with three in the top of the fourth.

Monroe reclaimed the lead briefly in the bottom of the fourth, as Brooks doubled and scored on a single by Ricotta. But Genesee responded with two in the fifth and two more in the sixth to provide the final margin.

Ricotta and Brust both had two hits and Brooks scored a pair of runs.