Patience at the plate was a key as the Panthers picked up their first win of the season, 4-3 over Mohawk Valley Community College on Tuesday. Game two of the scheduled doubleheader was suspended due to darkness, with the two teams tied at 8-8 in the fourth inning. That game will be resumed prior to the start of the scheduled doubleheader when the two teams play in Dryden on April 4. With the win, TC3 is now 1-4 on the season; it was the season opener for the Hawks.

Game One: Tompkins Cortland 4, Mohawk Valley 3

The Panthers scored first, but missed out on an opportunity for a big inning in the first. The first three TC3 batters reached on walks. Dominic Zona came in to score on the first ball put in play – a sacrifice fly by Parker Seeley. Another walk reloaded the bases, but a strikeout and flyout ended the threat with just one run crossing the plate for the Panthers.

Mohawk Valley tied the game with a run in the bottom of the first and then took the lead with another score in the bottom of the second. Walks again helped the Panthers score in the third, with a pair of walks and a single loading the bases, and a walk to Easton Podbeusek scoring a run and tying the game at 2-2. The Panthers again failed to cash in on the bases loaded with one out, ending the inning with a pop out and ground out.

The Panthers reclaimed the lead in the fifth, with Logan Meerburg reaching on a hit by pitch, Ryan Brbeau following with a double, and then both coming into score on passed ball and sacrifice by Jake Malkowski. A triple and sac fly by Mohawk Valley in the bottom of the fifth cut TC3's lead to 4-3, and when TC3 again failed to score in a bases loaded situation in the top of the seventh, the game went to the bottom of final frame with the Panthers up by one. With Nathan Joly on the mound, the first out came on a strikeout. The next batter popped up in the infield, but some confusion among the fielders let the ball fall for a two-base error, putting the tying run in scoring position with one out. Joly got the next batter to ground out, and with the tying run now on third, the final batter hit a slow grounder to third that Keelan Marren charged and made a nice running throw to nip the runner at first, sealing the fin for the Panthers.

The Panthers had just four hits but reached base via walks and hit by pitches nine times. Starting pitcher Roman Villanueva pitched four innings for the win, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out three. After an inning from Cooper Ouellette, Joly pitched the final two innings for the save, allowing no runs while striking out three.

Game Two: Tompkins Cortland 8, Mohawk Valley 8 (suspended in middle of fourth inning)

Game will be resumed April 4 in Dryden, prior to scheduled doubleheader.

Looking ahead

The Panthers travel to Florida for six games during spring break.