Cougars take Two at the Sandcastle

Atlantic City, N.J. - The Camden County College Cougars baseball team won both games of the today's doubleheader against the Atlantic Cape Community College Buccaneers at Sandcastle Stadium.  Although the game was played at Buccaneers park due to recent weather, the Cougars were the home team for each game.

Sophomore right handed pitcher, Pete Berenato, got the nod for the series opener.  Berenato threw a complete game no-hit shutout to set the tone, fanning thirteen Buccaneer batters! Berenato now has 1.00 ERA on the season and leads the Cougars staff in innings pitched.

The Cougars offense got off to an early 1-0 lead.  Freshman catcher, Emmanuel Ocasio, hit a two out double in the first inning to score sophomore, Dominick Lopez.  The Cougars bats then went quiet the next three innings.  Third baseman, Dominick Lopez, got the Cougars rolling in the 5th inning started with a lead off single.  Lopez went 3-4 in game 1 scoring 3 of the Cougars runs.  The bats continued to come alive as the Cougars managed to scrape across five runs in the 5th and two more runs in the 6th. That would ultimately wind up as the final score as the Cougars shutout the Buccaneers 8-0.

Game 2 was a different story.  The Cougars offense struck again in the first inning as Dominick Lopez knocked in sophomore outfielder, Matt Jefferson for the games first run.  Sophomore right handed pitcher, Bobby Girgenti, cruised through the first four innings striking out 5 Buccaneer batters.  Girgenti ran into some trouble in the 5th inning however, walking the first two Buccaneers of the inning.  Atlantic Cape then managed to string together three base hits to give the Buccaneers the 3-1 after five innings of play.

The Cougars offense continued to struggle as they hit into two double plays with runners on the corners in the 4th and 6th inning.  Freshman pitcher, Frank Pagano, relieved Girgenti in the 6th inning.  Pagano held down the Buccaneers throwing a scoreless 6th inning. The Cougars trailing 3-1 still, had a costly error to start the 7th which lead to another Buccaneer run making the score 4-1.  With bases loaded and no one out still in the top of the 7th, Pagano proceeded to strikeout Buccaneer batter, Kyle Eppright for the first out.  Pagano then induced a 6-3 double play to get the Cougars out of the top of the 7th inning keeping the score 4-1 Buccaneers.

Cougars magic was in the air in the bottom of the 7th inning.  Sophomore outfielder, Hunter Brelsford got the inning started with a leadoff single.  Sophomore catcher, Jimmy Sayles followed up Brelsford with a walk to make it first and second with 0 outs.  However, Buccaneer pitcher Antonio Caraballo, managed to get the next two Cougars out.  With runners on first and third, freshman lead-off hitter Ryan Swift stepped to the plate.  Swift kept the inning alive hitting a single into right field to score Brelsford making the score 4-2.  Matt Jefferson followed up next with another single making the score 4-3.  After a Buccaneer mound visit, Dominick Lopez stepped to the plate.  Lopez fell behind in the count 0-2 as the Buccaneers had the Cougars down to their final strike.  The next pitch Lopez hit a soft line drive into right field as the Cougars tied the game 4-4.  Freshman first baseman, Chris Maldonado stepped to the plate with runners at the corners. After a first pitch strike, Maldonado drilled a line drive into center field to give the Cougars the 5-4 walk off victory!

The Cougars now look for complete the sweep as they host the Atlantic Cape Community College Buccaneers for the third and final game of the series tomorrow at Camden County College at 3:30pm.  Due to changes in venue, the Cougars will be the away team.  GO COUGARS!