Phantoms Drop Season Opener 12-11

Jenkintown, Pa. - The Delaware County Community College baseball team opened the season with hot bats, but host Manor College managed to hold on for the 12-11 victory in the season opener Saturday morning. 

The Phantoms (0-1) wasted no time in getting on the board as Eric Engesser singled home Cidrick Navas to give DCCC the 1-0 lead.

Showing the promise of what is to come this spring, the Phantoms added five runs in the second on five hits. Hunter Whitten got the hit parade started with a single before Gabe Palandro followed with a double to right which brought Whitten home. After Benjamin Beasley worked a walk, Navas plated two more with a triple to right. 

Cole DeRosa made sure Navas was not stranded as he sent a single to center to score Navas and tie the contest at 5-5.

DeRosa came around to score on two stolen bases and an error to put DCCC on top going to the bottom of the second, 6-5.

The Phantoms continued to add to their lead in the third with two more runs on a Navas double, before tacking on single runs in both the fourth and the fifth. 

Leading 10-5 going into the bottom of the sixth, DCCC saw Manor come up with its own big inning as the Blue Jays put up seven runs on just one hit on their way to a 12-10 advantage.

DeRosa looked to kickstart a seventh-inning rally as he came around to score via stealing home after a leadoff walk, but the Phantoms would get no closer. 

Michael Casson took the loss on the mound for the Phantoms. Casson came on in relief for starter Hunter Whitten who gave up just four hits and struck out nine over five. 

Reliever Juan Regaldo allowed just one hit and one unearned run over one and two-thirds innings on his way to earning the win for Manor.

DCCC's bats got off to a hot start on the season as the Phantoms tallied 12 hits over the contest. Spots two through four in the lineup came up big as they combined to go 7-for-11 in the game. Navas, in the No. 2 spot, went 2-for-4 with four RBIs while DeRosa (No. 3) and Engesser (No. 4) went 3-for-4 and 2-for-3, respectively. Palandro and Sean Duffy also registered multi-hit games. The contest saw a matchup of first-year head coaches as Phantoms coach Ryan Hunter and Manor coach Charles 'PJ' Hackett faced off after coaching together last season at Williamson College of the Trades.

DCCC will see Manor again as a rematch between the two clubs is scheduled for April 18th.

Next up for the Phantoms is a Tuesday afternoon contest at Salem Community College. First pitch against the Mighty Oaks (5-5) is scheduled for 3 p.m