How Sweep It Is: Kennedy Baseball Takes Three-Game Series From Central

The Kennedy Cougars came out swinging Thursday afternoon on their home field as they defeated the Valley Stream Central Eagles 12-1 and swept the three-game series to open their Conference AA-III season.

The Cougars trailed after the top half of the first inning, but quickly got the run back when Noah Shulman came home as part of a double steal.

Shulman went 3-for-4, stole two bases and drove in one run.

Kennedy collected its first hit in a big way in the bottom of the second when sophomore Michael McCormick blasted a two-run home run over the left field fence to give the Cougars a 3-1 lead. From their, the home team took over.

The Cougars batted around in the third inning and put up five runs after seven straight batters reached base.

The hitting continued in the fourth inning when right fielder Justin Harrison started the inning with a double that fell in front of the Valley Stream Central outfielders. The Cougars collected three more hits after that, including RBI singles from first baseman Evan Krohn and left fielder Jordan Leopold to open up a 10-run lead.

Leopold went 2-for-3 on the day and drove in three runs. Krohn and catcher Robert Delgado both went 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI.

Jordan Boyer pitched five strong innings on the mound for Kennedy. He gave up seven hits, but did not surrender a walk and struck out three.

“We’ve been hitting the ball very hard the last two games, but they weren’t falling in, and today it started to fall in," Kennedy head coach Eric Passman said after the win. "So we’re on a little bit of a hot streak now hitting the ball.”

Score: Kennedy 12, Valley Stream Central 1

Records: Kennedy 3-0 (5-4); Valley Stream Central 0-3 (0-7)

Heroes: There were a lot of big performances from the Cougars in the win, but none was bigger than McCormick's and his blast in the second inning.

“[I saw] a hanging curve ball," he said. "I just swung the bat and let my hands do the work.”

The sophomore went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. His homer got his team out in front early and the Cougars never looked back.

“He showed tremendous potential last year in ninth grade and this year he just won a job as a varsity player," Passman said of McCormick's play. "It speaks for itself. … He’s been hitting all year.”

Turning Point: The home run was huge, but the Cougars saw seven straight batters reach base in the third inning to extend the lead to 8-1. The seven straight batters settled for two walks, two hit-by-pitches and three singles.

Quotable: “There was a lot of energy. We came out, hit the ball like we can and had a good game," McCormick said.

Bottom Line: The Cougars are in a very tough conference that doesn't allow for any breaks, so starting the conference schedule 3-0 is a big boost with some stiff competition ahead.

“Every game is important in this league because every team is good," Passman said. "There are no weak teams. ... It’s going to come down to the wire, I’m sure.”

Series Roundup:

Kennedy pitchers allowed just two runs in the three-game series against Valley Stream Central.

Kevin Sustad pitched a 6-1 win Monday. The Cougars won 4-0 on the strength of a gem from Andrew Wood Tuesday and 12-1 Thursday behind Boyer's control.

“We’ve had unbelievable pitching the last three games,” Passman said.

Who's Next? April 16, Kennedy @ Farmingdale, 10 a.m.

Box Score