Triple Play Highlights MCC’s 2-1 Win over Dean
MANCHESTER – (March 22, 2009) The MCC infield turned a 4-6-3-2 triple play before Andrew Kravontka (Manchester) broke a 1-1 tie with a two-out, RBI single in the sixth inning as the Cougars edged Dean College 2-1 Sunday afternoon in Manchester.
Kevin Wodatch (Wallingford) retired the last 11 batters he faced to cap off four innings of one-hit, shutout baseball in his first collegiate appearance on the mound. Wodatch had one strikeout, did not walk a batter and induced three ground ball outs in the ninth inning to close out the game.
MCC (4-1) took two of the three weekend games from Dean (8-4). The Bulldogs won the first game of Saturday’s double-header 3-2 before the Cougars took the nightcap by a 7-2 count.
MCC starter Ryan Carroll (Newington) worked the first five innings, giving up the lone Dean run in the first inning. The right-hander worked out of jams in each of his five frames – none bigger than the third when his defense came to the rescue.
Carroll (5 innings, 4 hits, 1 strikeout, 1 walk, 2 HBP) walked Stephen Leahy to lead off the inning, then balked him over to second before hitting James Hamilton with a pitch. Dean’s starting pitcher and clean-up hitter Matthew White followed, and hit a crisp ground ball to second baseman Juan Bisono (New Britain). Bisono flipped the ball to shortstop Alan Fredriksson (Torrington) at second base for the first out. Fredriksson glided over the bag and fired the ball over to James McGowan (South Windsor) at first for the second out. McGowan relayed the ball to catcher A.J Lowers (Newington) who tagged out Leahy trying to score from second to complete the triple play.
“The pitchers are throwing well,” MCC Head Coach Chris Strahowski said. “We talked with Ryan, he knows he didn’t have his best stuff, but being able to gut through the lineup a couple of times and keeping us in the ball game is how we are going to survive.”
Manchester scored its first run in the fourth inning without the benefit of a hit. Fredriksson reached on an error to lead off the inning and went to second on a wild pitch. The MCC shortstop, who was a NJCAA All-New England selection as a freshman, alertly took third when Dean’s catcher throw back to the pitcher bounced around the infield, then scored on a fielder’s choice by McGowan. Lowers, who was on first after a White pitch drilled him below the knee, did a nice job breaking up a double play, allowing Fredriksson to cross the plate safely.
The Cougar pitching has been outstanding through five games and the defense turned in another strong performance – they were not charged with an error over the three-game set. But the bats have been slow to come around and after striking out 20 times in two games on Saturday, MCC hitters struck out eight more times and hit .274 as a team with just two extra base hits.
“I’m happy that we have two wins in the bank, but not necessarily happy with the performance.” Strahowski said. “We have to get much better with an eight-game week coming up. If we play like this we are going to be in a lot of trouble next weekend at this time.”
The Cougars start their Region XXI Division III title defense on Tuesday when Quinsigamond visits Manchester (3:30pm) to conclude MCC’s six-game home stand. The Cougars travel to CCRI on Wednesday afternoon, then play consecutive double headers on Friday vs. Brookdale CC in Lincroft, NJ; Saturday vs. Adirondack CC in Glens Falls, NY; then host Eastern Connecticut’s sub-varsity for a pair of non-region games Sunday.
Bisono had three hits, including MCC’s lone extra-base hit. McGowan had two singles and 11 putouts at first base.
Manchester Community College 2 Dean College 1
at Manchester, CT
Dean College 100 000 000—– 1 5 2
Manchester CC 000 100 10X —– 2 8 0
D: Matthew White, Matthew Hurly (7) and Samuel Dorman M: Ryan Carroll, Kevin Wodatch (6) and A.J. Lowers WP: Wodatch LP: White; Records: D: 8-4, M:4-1.
Time of game: 2:09
