TROY – Sunday was a beautiful day for a ballgame. The Raiders stepped onto the Hudson Valley CC field and enjoyed the best playing conditions of the season so far. FM staged an impressive rally in Game One and took an early lead in Game Two, but that was not enough to overcome the Hudson Valley offense. The Vikings won the two games by scores of 10-6 and 6-2.
Photo: FM's Jonathan Wingate tags out HVCC's Joe Bender
FM center fielder Christopher Rockefeller had a big day at the plate, banging out five hits, including two doubles, in the two games. (See photo at the bottom of this webpage.) Catcher/first baseman Andrew Houser had a four-hit day for the Raiders.
Game One
Hudson Valley jumped out to an early lead, scoring a total of five runs in the first two innings.
FM got on the scoreboard in the third inning. Raymond Osterhout drew a walk. Chris Rockefeller and DaShon Boyles both singled, and the Raiders had the bases loaded with no outs. Osterhout scored on Houser's infield grounder, but that was the only run that FM could score in that frame.
Photo: Ray Osterhout singled up the middle in Game Two
The Vikings led 8-1 when FM came to bat in the sixth inning. Houser and Lewis Lima singled. Jon Wingate legged out an infield hit, and the bases were loaded with one out. Houser scored on Matt Hecht's grounder to short.
HVCC added two more runs in the sixth and led 10-2, but the Raiders were not done. FM put together a nice four-run rally in the top of the seventh. Rockefeller and Houser doubled, and Lima drove a triple into the right field corner. Wingate drove in a run. Four Raiders crossed the plate, but the game ended 10-6 in the Vikings' favor.
FMCC 001 001 4 6-11-5
HVCC 142 012 x 10-12-3
Maldonado and Hecht; Hutchins, Yamin (7) and Julian
W-Hutchins, L-Maldonado
2B- Rockefeller(2), Houser, Bender, McDonough. 3B- Lima, Bender, Bink
Game Two
The Raiders' offense kept going in the first inning of Game Two. Osterhout walked. Rockefeller and Boyles singled. Houser doubled to left, and FM led 2-0.
Hudson Valley tied the game with two runs in their half of the second. The game was still tied at 2-2 after FM batted in the fifth.
The Raiders worked a dandy pickoff play in the fourth. Houser caught HVCC's Connor McDonough heading for second. Houser threw to Osterhout, who ran McDonough back toward first. Osterhout threw to James Waters, who put the tag on McDonough.
Photo: James Waters tags the Viking runner
The Vikings scored four runs in the home half of the fifth, taking a 6-2 lead.
FM tried to rally in the seventh. Boyles walked. Houser and Zachary Hughes singled, loading the bases, but the Hudson Valley defense held. The final score was 6-2.
FMCC 200 000 0 2-7-4
HVCC 020 040 x 6-10-1
Gregware, Carmel (5) and Houser; Piel, Hall (1), Gregg (6) and Farias
W-Hall, L-Gregware
2B- Houser, Conte, Julian
Records: FMCC 7-15 (2-6 Region 3), HVCC 9-3 (9-3 Region 3)
Photo: Chris Rockefeller singles to right in Game Two – Ray Osterhout is the runner on first
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