Published: May 10, 2008 11:21 pm            

COLLEGE ROUNDUP (May 10): NCCC baseball playing for regional title

“What we’re doing is amazing,” Niagara County Community College baseball coach Matt Clingersmith said Saturday night.

Continuing what has been a remarkable turnaround in Clingersmith’s second season, NCCC won two Region III playoff games Saturday in Batavia, overcoming an opening game loss on Friday to advance to the championship game of the double elimination tournament.

The Trailblazers (18-14) must beat Hudson Valley Community College twice today to advance to next week’s National Junior College Athletic Association World Series in Texas.

“Our guys haven’t quit all year,” said Clingersmith, a Niagara Falls native. “We’re always the underdog but we keep upsetting everybody, getting big hits, making plays defensively. We have a lot of talent on this team, it’s scary.”

Charles Stodolka (Barker) gave NCCC seven solid innings in the first game, a 6-5 defeat of Herkimer Community College. Stodolka allowed just two earned runs before giving way to Brian Kwiatkowski (Tonawanda) who go the win in relief.

Kwiatkowski also had the game-winning hit, a triple in the ninth inning. Sean Jamieson tied the game with a double that scored two runs in the seventh. Rob Linhart (Newfane) and Mike Brosius (North Tonawanda) each had two hits.

In the next game, NCCC avenged its Friday loss by beating Genesee Community College 5-2. Chris Carden (Niagara-Wheatfield) pitched a complete game with three strikeouts to pick up the win. Kwiatkowski was 2-for-5 with a double, Mark Bigley (Niagara Falls) had two hits and two RBIs, Matt Milliman (Lockport) had an RBI triple and Jamieson and Linhart each had two more hits.

Marist 7, NU 2

NU 4, Marist 1

Daniel Morari improved to 3-0 and lowered his ERA to 0.47, as the Purple Eagles won the second game of a doubleheader at Sal Maglie Stadium.

Jon Smith (Niagara-Wheatfield) had two hits, a stolen base and a pair of web gems in his first infield start in the opener

The two teams will conclude the series at 1 p.m. today.

        

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