Buffalo, N.Y.-When game one of the AMCC doubleheader between Medaille and D'Youville was suspended due to a spring snow storm in the top of second inning of game one, it was a memorable event.
Today was another memory against Medaille, this time it was the first sweep of a doubleheader against their local foe in almost 12 years.
Eric Simoncelli (Hamburg, NY/Hamburg) broke open a tie game with a two-run home run in the last of the fifth, and pitcher Dan Fox (Cheektowaga, NY/Maryvale) tossed a complete game with 9 strikeouts to lead the Spartans to a 5-3 win over Medaille in the opener.
In game two, Spartan's pitcher Brent Gibbs (Wayland, NY/Wayland) fired a one-hitter and struck out six and hit two RBI doubles. Matt Wendling (Cheektowaga, NY/Maryvale) also had an RBI two-bagger and Simoncelli added a solo shot to lead D'Youville to a 3-0 win to and complete their first twin-bill sweep of Medaille since May 1, 2001.
This doubleheader began March 28 and only got an inning and two-thirds in before heavy snow caused the suspension of play. At the time, Medaille led 1-0 and was batting in the top of the second and two outs. Fox opened the re-start with a strikeout.
The first-year pitcher pitched his way out of jams throughout the game. After giving up an RBI single, Fox left Medaille runners on first and second to end the third. After an RBI double in the fourth, Medaille had a runner thrown out off a blown squeeze play and a Fox strikeout to end that rally.
In the meantime, D'Youville scored three in the third, two coming off a Wendling double. and the third off a Simoncelli sacrifice fly.
Fox stood tough in the Medaille fifth, facing bases loaded and one out, Fox got two strikeouts to end the inning, and his battery mate Simoncelli hit the two-run bomb in the bottom of the frame to put the Spartans up for good.
The game ended when Spartan third baseman Garatt Kerr (London, ONT/Regina Mundi) made a diving stop on a one-hopper to his left, threw from his knees, and got 5-4-3 double play started.
In the nightcap, Gibbs drove in the first run with an RBI-double, knocking in Wendling after he doubled. That was all the run support the Spartan's pitcher would need. Gibbs took a no-hit bid five and a third innings, yielding only a single to record the complete-game win.
Simoncelli hit the first pitch of the second inning over the left field fence and Gibbs would score Jeff Spors (Tonawanda, NY/Kenmore East) after he doubled to open the sixth. Spors had two hits in game two, three on the day.
Gibbs received help from his the field. Wendling made a number of sparkling plays at shortstop finishing with 5 assists. First baseman Jay Senozetnik (Eden, NY/Eden) had four assists, and right-fielder DJ Zanghi (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy) caught a tough line drive in the fourth inning.
"The difference was, today we did the little things you need to do to win," said Spartan's Head coach Leo Dandes. "We made a number of good plays in the field and the hitting was timely. The baserunning need to get a bit better, but if you're not giving it away in the field, it's easier to overcome stuff."
D'Youville ends their nine-game losing streak and improves to 2-4 in the AMCC, 4-10 overall.
The Spartans travel to Erie, PA tomorrow (April 16) to face Penn State Behrend at 1:00 p.m.
