Spartans End Regular Season with Sweep

Cayuga Community College Baseball closed its regular season on a six-game win streak after sweeping a home doubleheader from a strong Finger Lakes Community College team on Sunday.

The Spartans rallied from a late deficit for a 5-4 extra-inning win in the opener, then in the nightcap held off the Lakers by a 5-3 margin behind a complete game from Luke Ough. Cayuga closes the regular season with a 31-11 overall record, a 27-9 mark against Region III opponents and an East Division record of 19-9.

Cayuga Coach John Rizzo credited the Spartans' pitching staff and timely hitting for giving them the sweep over the Lakers.

"Will Coleman had a nice start in the opener, the bullpen came in and gave us a chance late, and Perry (Chetney) had the clutch double to walk it off," said Rizzo. "We had a big first inning in the second game and that was enough for Luke to go the distance and get us another. We're getting hot and playing well at the right time."

In a well-pitched opener, the Spartans scored in the first on a Tyler Korsky double and then took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on Caleb Delly's two-out single, scoring Chetney. The Lakers, held hitless in the first four innings, broke through on a two-out, bases-loaded triple in the fifth to make it 4-2.

Cayuga fought back in the sixth, with Korsky walking and Mike Norton singling him to third before Juan Perez singled both home to knot the score at four. Both teams threatened in the seventh but failed to score, sending the game to extra innings. With one out in the eighth, Chetney doubled down the right field line, scoring pinch runner Roy Glaum to give Cayuga the 5-4 win.

Chetney went three-for-three with two doubles, a run and RBI, and Perez went two-for-four with two RBI. Coleman threw 4 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and striking out five. Brantley Griggs and Keegan Ferris combined to hold the Lakers the rest of the way, with Ferris picking up the win.

In the second game, the Spartans did all their damage in the first inning. The first five batters scored, with Korsky, Norton, Perez and Bradley Soto driving in runs. The Lakers bullpen held the Spartans at bay the rest of the game, but five runs was more than enough for Ough, who threw a complete game, allowing just six hits and three earned runs while striking out three.

Six Spartans tallied hits in the second game, with Norton and Perez smashing doubles. Norton finished with two RBI, and Phil Messina went one-for-two with a run.

Cayuga's postseason schedule is still being determined. Playoffs are slated to begin this coming weekend.