Knights Take Game 1 of District F Championship against Sharks 9-3!

05.17.19

Warwick, R.I. – May 17, 2019: The CCRI Knights baseball team took on the Suffolk County Community College Sharks for the first game of the District F Championship three game series. The Knights broke a scoreless game in the fourth inning and held pace on route to a 9-3 victory. The win improves CCRI's season record to 25-10 overall, 15-1 in Region XXI play and 14-1 in League play.

Suffolk County comes into the District F Championship with an impressive .344 team batting average with four batters around the .400 mark. The highlight however has been sophomore pitcher Joseph Valentino who ranks seventh in the nation with eight wins, fifth in the nation with 92 strikeouts, fourth in the nation with a 1.12 ERA and second in the nation with 17.13 strikeouts per nine innings.

Valentino did not disappoint, keeping the Knights scoreless until the fourth inning. Freshman Alejandro Martinez (Cranston, RI) batted in the first run, a single scoring sophomore co-captain Nick D'Ambra (Coventry, RI) from third. Sophomore Ray Aponte (East Providence, RI) drew a basses loaded walk to score sophomore Joey Barter (Coventry, RI) for the second run. Sophomore Kyle McCann (Coventry, RI) knocked in two runs with a single, bringing Alejandro Martinez and freshman David Meech (Douglas, MA) to make it 4-0 Knights.

A two-run sixth inning gave CCRI a 6-0 lead. David Meech reached on a double. Ray Aponte was able to get Meech into scoring position with a single in the following at bat. Kyle McCann batted in his third run of the game, scoring Meech from third with a single that also advanced Ray Aponte to third base. Freshman Anthony Ramos (Cranston, RI) brought Ray Aponte in on a sacrifice fly to right field for the final run of the inning.

Suffolk would be held scoreless until the seventh inning. Sophomore slinger Zack D'Andrea (Warwick, RI) had great stuff on the mound in the seven inning he pitched, striking out 12 batters and allowing just one hit and one run. D'Andrea saved his best performance for the postseason and helped pave the way for the CCRI bats to flourish.

The Knights would tally one more run in the eighth inning after three singles loaded the bases and sophomore co-captain Zack Odsen put the ball in play, a fielder's choice that scored CCRI's seventh run of the game.

Suffolk would score two runs in the bottom of the eighth as freshman Peter Cohen (North Attleboro, MA) came in for relief allowing one earned run and two hits in the eighth.

CCRI scored two more runs in the top of the ninth inning as sophomore Jacob Frost (Cranston, RI) drew a walk with the basses chucked that scored Alejandro Martinez. Kyle McCann racked up a game leading fourth RBI off a fielder's choice that score David Meech to give CCRI a 9-3 lead. That was all they needed as the Sharks went down one, two, three at the hand of freshman Riley Beard (North Kingstown, RI) in the bottom of the ninth and the Knights would take game one of the best of three series 9-3.

The Knights offense was led at the plate by Kyle McCann as he went 3-5, three singles and added four RBI. David Meech batted 1-2, a double and added three runs scored. Alejandro Martinez was 1-4 at the plate, a single with two runs scored and one RBI. Jacob Frost tallied 1-4, a single and one run scored. Ray Aponte contributed a 1-3 performance with a single and a run scored. Anthony Ramos went 1-4, a single and one RBI. Nick D'Ambra was 1-6 with a single and a run scored to round off the offense.

The CCRI Knights baseball team will next be in action on Saturday, May 18th at noon as they face the Suffolk County Community College Sharks for game two in the best of three District F Championship at the Medford Athletic Complex in Medford, NY.

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The Community College of Rhode Island, New England's largest comprehensive community college, enrolls nearly 15,000 students in credit courses and thousands more in non-credit and job training classes. Its athletic program boasts 12 varsity programs and an academic support program for all student-athletes.