Monroe '9' takes Game 1

GROTON, C.T. -- Braedon Reina (Rochester, N.Y./Churchville-Chili) scored the tying and go-ahead runs while Parker Holden (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) hurled four shutout innings in relief.

Monroe Community College Baseball (33-8) took Game 1 of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II East Sub-District series with a 5-3 victory over UConn-Avery Point (23-10/Region 23) in action from Roger Bidwell Field at Washington Park on Friday.

Reina doubled to lead the sixth inning and scored on a Miguel Matos (Rochester, N.Y./East High) infield base hit to snap a three-all tie and give the Tribunes their first lead of the game.

"There was a lot of energy in the dugout, and the guys were having good at-bats," said MCC head coach Dave Brust. "As we got into the second and third time through the order, the guys started to chip away. We've always felt that way about our offense. We give them a couple innings to get comfortable and figure out whoever is on the mound. I thought that they did that."

With lead in hand, Holden was nearly untouchable. He set down 9 of the first 10 batters faced.

"Parker was so good," said Brust, who noted that the plan was to have the sophomore right-hander go two innings then turn the game over to Cameron Bentley (Toronto, ON/Humberside). "He was dealing, so you just leave him in there."

Holden surrendered a one-out walk in the ninth and then pinch-hitter Joel Tiburcio (Norwich, CT/Norwich Free Academy) reached out and slapped a two-strike pitch into shallow center. He retired the next batter on a ground ball to the right side of the infield and with runners on second and third he induced a pop up in foul territory to end the game.

The save was his second of the season. He has allowed three earned runs in his last 17 innings of work.

"His fastball has so much movement that if a hitter is swinging out of the hand per se, that pitch could run up your barrel."

Monroe trailed 3-1 after three innings of play, and Avery Point starter, Jackson Pray (Haddam, CT/Haddam Killingworth - 5-2, 3.72 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 46.0 IP) had faced the minimum in the first and third innings.

"He had good stuff with decent velo," Brust said of Pray. "He had a couple off-speed pitches that were good. He was not an easy guy to figure out."

Aaron Reina (Rochester, N.Y./Churchville-Chili) doubled and scored on a Tyler Cannon (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) seeing-eye single in the second.

The Tribunes broke through in the fourth.

Michael Sardou (Rochester, N.Y./Churchville-Chili) drew a one-out walk. Braedon Reina delivered a two-out single. With Sardou going on contact, he easily reached third and scored on an errant throw.

Cannon tied the game with a single to center.

"They got a little bit more comfortable with the environment and the situation," Brust said of his squad. "Ultimately, they were competing. As coaches, that's all we ask, go out and compete. Second and third time through the order you started to see the impact of that."

Aaron Reina connected on his second double of the game with one out in the seventh. Braedon Reina's Baltimore Chop single made it a two-run game at 5-3.

Jaden Sherwood (Batavia, N.Y./Notre Dame-Batavia) allowed three runs over five innings of work. Making his first start of the season, the sophomore right-hander struck out six. He allowed five hits, one walk and improved to 4-2.

"He's heart and soul," Brust said of Sherwood. "He knows what to do and did it. Five innings of keeping us in it was all we needed. His stuff was good enough that it was tough to hit. I'm happy for him."

Friday's win was Monroe's third in the past 10 head-to-head meetings between the two programs.

"Avery Point is always good," Brust said. "They're always fundamentally sound. They always pitch it well. Beating them is not easy."

Avery Point, which has a 25-16 advantage in the series since 2008, has ended the Tribunes' last three seasons including a year ago when MCC took Game 1 before dropping back-to-back games.

"I reminded them of that in the outfield immediately after the game," Brust said. "This is halftime in a sense. The second-year guys understand. They know we have a lot of work to do. The hard part is yet to come."

Game 2 is scheduled for 10:30 AM on Saturday. Originally slated for a 1 PM first pitch, the game was moved to try and avoid the rain that is in the forecast.