Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY -  Dutchess split their home doubleheader against Ulster Community College on Saturday, winning game one 5-3 and losing game two 3-1.

    

In game one, the Falcons and Senators found themselves tied 2-2 after seven innings. Both bullpens held each other off the scoreboard until all the way to the top of the 13th when UCC pushed a run across the board to take a 3-2 lead. Dutchess started the bottom half of the inning with a pair of singles. Sophomore John Wheeler then singled in Jonathan Lezette to tie the game back up at 3. One batter later, Erik Merrill won it with a walk-off three run home run to right to finally end the marathon that was game one.

Wheeler finished game one going 4-for-6 with two doubles and two RBI, while Lezette tallied three hits of his own including a double and two runs scored.

Isiah Nugent started the game for the Falcons, lasting 5 innings, allowing just one run, and striking out five. The Dutchess bullpen did an incredible job for the eight innings that followed. Brendon Malouf pitched a scroeless two innings to ultimately send the game to extra innings. Then, Andrew Kemmerer took over and fired the final six innings. The freshman got the well deserved win after allowing just one run and striking out a pair in relief.

        

Vincent Valentino threw solid game for the Senators, going 7 2/3 innings, giving up two runs, while striking out seven batters.

Game two, on the other hand, had far less excitement, in about half the amount of time as Ulster won the low scoring pitchers duel by a final of 3-1. Nicholas Fulford pitched a great game for the Senators as he went the distance allowing just one run on six hits, and struck out four. John Wheeler started the game for the Falcons and threw the ball well. The sophomore pitched into the 5th, finishing with 4 2/3 innings pitched, one run, and five strikeouts.



Offensively, Dutchess could not get the bats going as they managed just six hits, with only one extra base hit courtesy of a double from Erik Merrill. Blaine Johnson drove in the lone run of the ball game for the Falcons.

The Falcons final series of games starts this Thursday at Dutchess Stadium against Sullivan Community College.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF: Reid Dalland Photography, reiddallandphotography.com/HudsonValleySports