Hosting #6-ranked SUNY Niagara on Thursday, the Panthers baseball team was unable to put together much offense, dropping both ends of a doubleheader to the Thunderwolves. Tompkins Cortland is now 4-18 overall and 4-14 in the West Division. Niagara is 35-7 overall and 19-1 in division.

Game One: Niagara 11, Tompkins Cortland 0 (5 innings)  

Only two players reached base for the Panthers in game one. Cody Sayre ((Spencer/Spencer-Van Etten H.S.) had the lone hit and Frank Marra (Millstone Township, N.J./Allentown) walked twice. Starting pitcher Ryoma Tada (Tokyo, Japan/Kosei Gakuen) was effective earlier, holding Niagara scoreless over the first two innings before allowing two in the third. Eventually he wore down, allowing four runs in the fifth before being pulled. Niagara added five more off the bullpen to end the game early.

Game Two: Niagara 17, Tompkins Cortland 0 (5 innings)

Just like game one, only two players reached base in game two. This time, both reach on base hits: a double for Max Dydynski (Nichols/Tioga H.S.) and a single for Kannon VanDuzer (Sayre, Pa./Sayre Area H.S.).

Also like game one, the starting pitcher threw well enough to keep the Panthers in the game early. Brian Guzman (Nagua, D.R./CEICOCE) put up a zero in the first, one run in the second, and two in the third. He couldn't make it out of the fourth before giving way to the bullpen. Niagara continued to move around the baes in the fourth and fifth innings, eventually coring enough to end the game via the run rule.

Looking ahead

The Panthers are on the road Saturday at SUNY Broome before returning to Dryden on Sunday to host the Hornets.