Herkimer Baseball Dominant in Shutout Sweep at Jefferson

The Herkimer Generals picked up a pair of shutout wins over Jefferson Community College on Sunday, thanks to a dominant performance on the mound by Justin Peralta and an offensive explosion in Game 2.

Game 1: Herkimer 5, Jefferson 0

In the opener, Peralta was in complete control. The right-hander struck out 10 batters over six innings of two-hit ball, not allowing a run or a walk as Herkimer rolled to a 5-0 win. Chase Hermance closed things out with a clean inning in relief, striking out two.

Herkimer got on the board in the second inning when Dylan Wolfson lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home the first run. Marvin Hill gave the Generals some breathing room in the third with a two-run homer to left, part of a three-run frame. Hill finished the game with two RBIs, while Shiryu Sato led the team at the plate, going 2-for-3. The Generals worked seven walks in the game, with Mike Schleider and Zowen Collins drawing two apiece. Collins also swiped a pair of bags as Herkimer racked up six steals as a team.

Game 2: Herkimer 13, Jefferson 0

In Game 2, the Generals' offense broke loose for 13 runs, including a seven-run fifth inning that sealed the win. Zowen Collins launched a two-run shot to center, Theo Kanegae ripped a two-run double, Jaden Madrid added an RBI single, and Jacob Severson capped the rally with an inside-the-park home run that plated two more.

Earlier in the game, Hugo Kohnhorst got things started with a two-run homer in the second. Hill followed with his second home run of the day, a solo shot in the third.

Jace VanValkenburg earned the win on the mound, allowing just three hits across five scoreless innings while striking out two. Herkimer collected 10 hits in the game, with Obiel Sanchez and Hill each notching two. Severson, Madrid, Kanegae, Collins, and Kohnhorst all drove in a pair of runs. Defensively, the Generals turned three double plays to keep the Cannoneers off the board.

Anthony Celar led Jefferson with a 2-for-2 effort in the second game, while the Cannoneers played error-free defense in the opener.

With the sweep, Herkimer continues to build momentum as the season heats up (literally and figuratively).