Castronovo delivers 8 hits in doubleheader sweep of Schenectady

Herkimer, NY - Vito Castronovo (Utica, NY) went 8-8 on the afternoon to lead the Herkimer Generals to their second doubleheader sweep of the Schenectady Royals in three days on Thursday afternoon in Herkimer by scores of 13-1 and 10-0. The wins raises the Generals record to 23-3-1 overall, 9-0-1 in Mountain Valley Conference action and a 14-1-1 mark in the Eastern Division of Region III. 

Game 1 saw the Generals jump out to a 7-0 lead after 2 innings and then put the game away with 6 more runs in the 4th inning, highlighted by a long 3-run homer by catcher Matt Parkinson (Whitesboro, NY). Parkinson went 2-2 with 4 RBI's in the game and Brian Forbes (Rocky Point, NY) went 3-3 with 2 runs scored and 2 runs batted in. Castronovo set the table from the leadoff spot, going 4-4 and scoring 3 runs. Dale Stanavich (Amsterdam, NY) went 5 innings on the mound and struck out 13 while scattering 3 hits and giving up just one run. 

Castronovo put up another 4-4 performance to lead the Generals in their 10-0 Game 2 win while Brandon Kuzinski (Schenectady, NY) took over the leadoff spot and went 3-3 with 3 runs scored. Stephen Centorani (Windsor, NY) went 2-3 including a 2nd inning solo HR. Matt Tobin (Poland, NY) went 2-2 with and RBI for Herkimer. Ben Wager (Johnstown, NY) continued his solid season on the mound, allowing only 3 hits and striking out 10 in his 5 innings of work.

The Generals, ranked # 5 in the NJCAA Division III National Poll, will now look forward to a 4 game weekend series with the Fulton-Montgomery Raiders. The first two games are scheduled at Herkimer on Saturday at 12 Noon with the Generals then scheduled to travel to Johnstown on Sunday for a 1:00 start.