MCLA earns first win up north

Trailblazers Win First Game up North

FROM MCLA and SOUTHERN VERMONT COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE

BENNINGTON, Vt. - The Trailblazers pounded out 15 hits and withstood three Southern Vermont homers on their way to a 13-9 victory. Homeruns from captain Dan Cook (Watervliet, N.Y.), Andrew Morin (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.), and a grand slam from Pat Warrington (Folcroft, Pa.) in the bottom of the ninth inning blasted SVC to within four runs.

The game, which was moved from MCLA to SVC due to bad field conditions, saw the Mountaineers down early as the Trailblazers (7-4) scored two runs in the first inning and another four in the second.

Southern Vermont (1-12) responded in the bottom of the second with a two-run home run from freshman Morin.

The Mountaineer defense and pitching let up another three runs through the seventh inning, leaving them with an 8-2 deficit going into the bottom of the seventh. It was then that Cook launched the second homer of the day for Southern Vermont over the right field wall.

After letting up five runs in the top of the ninth inning, the Mountaineers responded with five of their own, due to an RBI single from Northup and a grand slam from Warrington.

MCLA broke the game open scoring five times in the top of the ninth highlighted by Senior Derek Gibbons' 2 run double.  SVC would rally for five of their own in the bottom of the ninth, before falling to the Trailblazers.

"We finally broke thru with some key hits in the ninth to break the game open," MCLA Head Coach Jeff Puleri stated.

Gibbons (Rochester, MA) led the Trailblazers offensive surge going 4 for 4 with five RBI's and walking twice. Centerfielder Rick Massey (Pittsfield, MA) went 3 for 5 with an RBI and John Ripepi (Amsterdam, NY) had 2 hits and scored four runs.