It took extra-innings to settle the score in the first round of the Western New York Athletic Conference Fall Championship tournament on Tuesday afternoon, and the host Genesee Community College Cougars came out on the losing end to Erie Community College, 7-5.
The fourth-seeded Cougars allowed a first inning run to no. 5 ECC, but answered to tie it in the bottom of the first when Rafael Lozada plated Christopher Soto with a two-out double.
Erie took the lead in the bottom of the second inning with two runs, and added a run in the fourth and a run in the fifth to take a 5-2 lead going into the bottom of the eighth. After managing just two hits since the third inning, Genesee strung five straight hits together in the home half of the eighth and scored three runs to tie the game at five apiece. Soto and Emmanuel Garcia delivered singles and scored a run each.
After two scoreless extra innings, the Kats broke through with two runs on two hits, a walk, and an error in the top of the 12th inning. The Cougars were set down in order in the bottom of the frame.
Soto ended the game two-for-five with two runs scored, Garcia added two hits including a double and Josh Maier went two-for-four with a run scored.
The loss ends the fall season for Genesee. Erie will move on to play no. 1 Monroe Community College on Saturday morning at 11 a.m at Dwyer Stadium. No. 2 Mercyhurst North East will play the winner of Tuesday night's game between no. 6 Jamestown Community College and no. 3 Niagara County Community College at 11 a.m. on Saturday at the GCC campus. The winners will meet in the championship game at Dwyer Staduim after the conclusion of both morning games.
(#21 Ryan DiMartino delivers an extra-inning base hit on Tuesday afternoon in the opening round of the WNYAC fall tournament)
