A long afternoon ended with a pair of close losses for the Panthers on Friday. Playing host to Erie Community College, the Panthers lost by scores of 10-8 and 5-3, with the first game going to extra innings and the second game shortened due to darkness. TC3 is now 8-24 overall and 4-14 in the Region 3 West Division. Erie is 23-21 overall and 13-8 in the West Division.

Game One: Erie 10, Tompkins Cortland 8   8 innings

The Panthers got on the board first with a run in the first inning, but Erie responded with six in the top of the second. The bottom of the second inning included a one-hour delay for thunder and lightning, but ended with the Panthers putting another run on the board. Erie put up single runs in each of the net two innings, but the Panthers scored three times in each inning, ultimately tying the game on a three-run homer by Keelan Marren (Skaneateles/Skaneateles H.S.) in the bottom of the fourth. The 8-8 deadlock held over the next three innings, sending the game to extras. In the eighth the Kats pushed two across, and the Panthers couldn't answer in the bottom of the frame.

Marren had a huge game, going 4-for-5 with a double, home run, and two RBI. Julian Poleon (Brooklyn/Abraham Lincoln H.S.), Jason Winstanley (Lewiston/Lewiston-Porter H.S.), Parker Seeley (East Rochester/Northstar Christian Academy), Cody Sayre (Spencer/Spencer-Van Etten H.S.), and Logan Meerburg (Whitby, On.t/Saint-Charles-Garnier H.S.) each had two hits.

Game Two: Erie 5, Tompkins Cortland 3   5 innings

After the delay and extra innings in game one, game two started much later than planned. Erie started the game with a bang, blasting a three-run homer to take the early lead. The Panthers scored one in the bottom of the first, but Erie responded with a run in the second and then added another in the fourth. In the bottom of the fifth TC3 was able to string three hits in a row, scoring two runs and bringing the tying run to the plate with one out. A caught stealing and strikeout ended the rally, and with darkness quickly falling, the teams weren't able to complete another inning before the game was called.

Ryoma Tada (Tokyo, Japan/Kosei Gakuen) had his longest outing of the season, pitching the complete game, striking out two while allowing five runs. Dominic Zona (Rochester/Greece Arcadia H.S.) paced the offense by going 3-for-3 from the leadoff spot.

Looking ahead

The Panthers and Kats are scheduled for another doubleheader Sunday in Buffalo.