Kats End Season with Hard Fought Series Agains #1 Seed Hudson Valley

The Erie Community College Kats came up just short in both ends of Sunday's doubleheader against Hudson Valley, falling 7-6 in game one on a walk-off and 8-6 in game two despite multiple rallies.

Game one was a tightly contested battle that ended in heartbreak for Erie, as Hudson Valley walked it off with a double in the bottom of the ninth. The Kats out-hit the Vikings 12-10 and held a lead late, but a five-run eighth inning by Hudson Valley turned the tide.

Starter Adam Staniszewski was impressive on the mound, throwing seven innings and allowing just one unearned run on six hits while striking out four. Offensively, James Buettner and John Callahan paced the Kats with three hits each, while Eric Calder, Noah Lapierre, and Jorden List each drove in a run. Erie took an early 3-0 lead and added another in the second, but Hudson Valley's late surge proved to be the difference.

Game two was another tight one  and Erie again fought hard but couldn't overcome timely hitting and a few defensive miscues, falling 8-6. Hudson Valley opened the scoring in the third, and added a solo homer in the fourth. The Kats responded in the fifth with a four-run frame, highlighted by Buettner's two-run double, an RBI single from Calder, and a sacrifice fly by Iyad Ansari.

After briefly tying the game, Hudson Valley regained the lead in the sixth and extended it on an error. Erie couldn't recover, despite solid efforts from Buettner and Ansari, who drove in two runs apiece. Calder added two hits for the Kats, continuing his strong day at the plate across both games.

Nick Gold started for Erie in game two, going 6.1 innings and allowing six runs (four earned) on five hits with one strikeout and five walks.

The doubleheader showcased the Kats offensive depth and competitive spirit that propelled them all season long.  The Kats combined for 18 hits on the day, with Buettner and Calder leading the way.