Dukes complete 4-game sweep over Suffolk County

VINELAND- The RCSJ-Cumberland baseball team played host to Suffolk County Community College over this past weekend, and delivered 4 wins to take their overall record to 7-1. 

Andrew Simone had a historic day on the mound for the Dukes. The right handed pitcher from Vineland, NJ delivered a unforgettable performance as he threw a no-hitter vs. the Suffolk county offense. In the game he struckout 13 batters, and only surrendered 1 walk. Simone's key to success was his ability to jump ahead of batters with first-pitch strikes while also throwing his repertoire of pitches for strikes. He faced the minimum amount of batters for a 7-inning game in 21 batters. This was a major reason Simone was able to go the distance and complete all 7 innings on the mound. Head Coach Marco Carolla commented on the performance after the game, "It's an awesome accomplishment for Andrew and our porgram. It couldnt of happened to a better kid that works hard at his craft".   

The game 1 offense was led primarily by infielder Kevin Merrone and outfielder Will Gamble. Merrone reached base 3 times, 2 of the times he reached base were by way of hits while also getting one free pass. He also collected 2 RBI's and scored 1 run. Gamble's day would match Merrone's as he also went 2 for 3 with one walk and 2 RBI's. Ben Maiers would also record a multi-hit game as he went 2 for 4 with 2 doubles. Mike Guzzardo and Matt Shepherd also had an RBI in the contest. 6-0 would be the final score in favor of the Dukes.

John Liberio and Noah Robinson would combine for a 2-earned run outing in game 2. Liberio racked up 8 strikeouts over 4 innings and surrendered 1 walk. Robinson would finish the Sharks offense off with a 1-2-3 inning. The offense was highlighted by freshman Nathaniel Figuero. Figuero hit a base clearing double that scored all base runners. He would end the game 1 for 2 with 3 RBI's while scoring twice. Merrone and Gamble would again have a multi-hit game as this one would end in another Dukes victory, 12-2.  

Another strong starting pitching performance came in game 3 when Mikal Goods toed the rubber for the Dukes. The left handed hurler was brilliant all afternoon for Cumberland as he went 6 strong innings. While handling the pitching duties, Goods struck out 7 batters, had 1 walk and allowed 1 earned run. He then gave way to John Kennealy who struckout 2 of the 3 batters he faced. 

The Cumberland offense was quiet for much of the game, but stayed patient at the plate as they accumulated 12 walks. They would use these walks to score 10 runs. Brian Regalado got the first hit and RBI's of his Cumberland career in the 5-run 5th inning. Game 3 would end with a final score of 10-2.

The series finale of the 4-game stretch would be the closest game of the weekend. Cumberland would survive a late Suffolk push and win the game 6-5 in 8 innings. The game was highlighted by Freshman Jack Peacock. The St. Augustine Prep graduate would go 3 for 4 at the plate an collect 1 RBI. His lone RBI proved to be the difference maker as Peacock delivered a walk-off double off the left field wall that would score Devon Koger and complete the sweep for Cumberland. Jacob Shapley, Nick Chiodo and Jeremiah Lebron would hold down the Sharks offense. The trio only allowed 1 earned run (4 total) over 8 innings. Overall, Coach Carolla was pleased with the pitching and defense over the weekend, but said the offense left something to be desired.

The team will have no games during the week before they welcome in Union County next weekend. In the latest NJCAA baseball rankings, Cumberland held their #4 spot. 

Full 2022 Baseball Schedule: https://dukesathletics.com/sports/bsb/2021-22/schedule