Article from Jamestown Post Journal (http://www.post-journal.com/sports/local-sports/2018/04/lazer-focus/)
Carlo Rodriguez, the Jayhawks' leadoff hitter, singled to right in the bottom of the first inning of the opener.
Good start, right?
Absolutely.
And it got even better when he moved to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on another wild pitch to give Jamestown CC a 1-0 lead.
Onondaga CC starter Adam Lupo appeared to be on the ropes.
But, just like that, the right-hander from Skaneateles righted himself and allowed just one hit the rest of the game as the Lazers breezed to a 10-3 Game 1 victory over the error-prone Jayhawks in NJCAA Region 3 Division III baseball action Sunday afternoon at Diethrick Park.
All told, Lupo struck out five, didn't issue a walk and hit two batters — both in the second inning when Jamestown CC (4-10, 4-8) scored a pair of unearned runs.
Meanwhile, Onondaga CC's offense scored in every inning after the second, highlighted by two hits apiece from Joey Lowen (two RBIs), Billy Clifford (double, RBI), Mitchell Hoalcraft (RBI) and Zach Pieklik (double RBI) against three Jayhawks pitcher.
David Baxter took the loss for Jamestown CC, working the first three innings before being relieved with two on and nobody out in the fourth. Braiden Blair and Chris Williams finished the game out of the bullpen.
The Jayhawks tallied their final two runs in the third inning, without the benefit of a hit, when Kobe DeJesus and Nelson Rivera were hit by pitches to lead off the inning. Rivera and teammate Robert Herrera later came around to score on errors. Jamestown CC's only other hit was by Steve Krystofiak with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Lupo retired the final two hitters on a pop up and a strikeout.
In Game 2, Jamestown CC rallied in a dramatic bottom of the seventh inning, only to lose in the eighth, 12-6.
Rivera hit a one-out double and DJ Yates walked before both moved up on a single by Taylor Byrd in the seventh. With two outs, Matt Hair connected for a two-run game-tying double before he was stranded following a strikeout.
In the top of the eighth, the Jayhawks — who were playing their sixth game in three days — ran out of gas. Onondaga CC (17-11, 10-3) parlayed six hits and four walks into seven runs to take a 12-5 lead and put the game away.
Jamestown CC scored three runs in the fourth inning to take a 3-1 lead on a Krystofiak two-run single that scored Byrd and Hair. Krystofiak also scored later in the frame.
Jacob Morgan went 5-plus innings for the Jayhawks just two days after starting against Finger Lakes CC. He struck out four and walked one.
"It's very rare for a pitcher to make another start after one day of rest. For guys like Baxter and Morgan to say 'Coach, give me the ball,' that speaks a lot to their character," Jamestown CC coach Matt Cummings said. "They know how important these games are. For them to go as long as they did was huge for our bullpen. They were able to at least give us options for as long as they threw."
David Heath hit a second-inning solo home run and Pieklik doubled for the Lazers. Josh Loeffler was 2 for 5 with an RBI and a run scored; Lowen was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored; Clifford drove in a pair of runs; Hoalcraft had two hits and an RBI; and Anthony Carrodeguas drove in a pair of runs.
The Jayhawks are now set to host nationally ranked Niagara County CC in a doubleheader Tuesday before traveling to Sanborn for another doubleheader against the Thunder Wolves on Thursday. As of today, they also have doubleheaders next Saturday and Sunday against Broome CC.
"We're hoping to stay on schedule this week. Playing six games in three days is tough for any team at any level," Cummings said. "We are looking to get more consistency with rest and games to get back on a roll again."
