Gallaher’s big day, havoc on basepaths give Triceratops sweep of Lorain County Community College

PARMA, Ohio (athletics.tri-c.edu) – With 23 stolen bases across two games and two four-RBI games from Vinny Gallaher (So./Toledo, Ohio), the Cuyahoga Community College Triceratops (21-13-1, 7-1 OCCAC) put their best on display in two wins – 11-4 and 15-5 - over Lorain County Community College (11-21, 1-3 OCCAC), April 21.

While the entire offense hit well and often, it was Gallaher that was the true star of the show. In game one, the sophomore reached base all five times he came to the plate with three walks, a single and a double. He also stole two bases and posted four RBIs in the game. The RBI and walk totals tied career highs. He stayed hot in the second game, again reaching base all three times he came to the plate with a walk, a double and a triple, and another four RBIs.

As a team, the Triceratops were relentless on the basepaths. 10 different Triceratops swiped a bag in either game, with six posting multiple steals on the day. Nathan Hill (So./Medina, Ohio/Toledo) and Jamir Ross (R-Fr./Dayton, Ohio) led the way with five and four steals, respectively, which were career highs for both players. Gallaher's two steals represented a career high for him, while Brayden Bortnick (Fr./Mentor, Ohio) tied his career best with three steals.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Game One

• The Commodores got off to a hot start, with a three-run blast by Leo Soneson.
• The Triceratops would respond with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first, coming on a walk by Nash Driedger (Fr./Windsor, Ontario, Canada) and a line drive by Brock Miller (So./Willard, Ohio).
• Lorain County was back in the drivers' seat with another homerun, this time a solo shot to left by Luke Holtzman to take a 4-2 lead.
• The lead wouldn't last long, as the Triceratops would pull the game even on a sacrifice by Ross and Bortnick scoring on a wild pitch.
• From there, it was all Triceratops. The lead quickly grew to 8-4 in the bottom of the third when a double by Gallaher drove in three runs.
• The Triceratops weren't finished, with Jackson Boles (So.) driving in a run on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the fifth to push the lead to 9-4.
• The final Triceratops runs would come in the bottom of the sixth, with Gallaher picking up another RBI on a single up the middle and Dreidger scoring on an error by the Commodore pitcher.

Game Two

• Just like in game one, the Commodores jumped out to an early lead with two runs in the top of the first coming from a Holtzman single. The Triceratops would immediately knot the game up in the bottom of the frame on a balk and a passed ball scoring Hill.
• Lorain Country struck back in the second with two RBI singles to take a 4-2 lead early.
• The Triceratops were not fazed by the offensive display, storming back to take the lead in the bottom of the second behind three runs of their own. Two sacrifice flies by Miller and Gallaher coupled with an RBI single by Hill put the Triceratops on top, 5-4.
• The Commodores would tie the game up again, 5-5, in the top of the fifth with a throwing error allowing one LCCC run to cross the plate.
• The Tricertops ended the game in emphatic fashion, lighting the scoreboard up with 10 runs in the bottom of the sixth to force the run-rule victory. Gallaher got the big inning started with a two-RBI triple to center field. He scored on a wild pitch and would smack an RBI double later in the inning.

UP NEXT

The Triceratops will hit the road for the away half of the series against Edison State, April 25. First pitch from Piqua, Ohio is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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