Sophomore pitcher Kevin Opanel had complete command of all his pitches Sunday, and turned in perhaps performthe top ance of his career, recording a no-hitter vs. Lehigh Carbon in Game 1 of a doubleheader.
But the tall right-hander out of South Philadelphia will tell you that Sunday's masterful outing was only the second best memory of his RCSJ career to date. Afterall, he closed out last season's Region championship game vs. Cumberland that punched the Runners' ticket to the NJCAA Division III World Series.
"The region championship was definitely the highlight," said Opanel.
"But this wasn't a bad memory either," he smiled.
Opanel made it look easy with a solid fastball and razor-sharp control, striking out 12 Cougars and allowing just one harmless walk.
Jimmy Bruno, Felix Diaz, Cole Fowler and A.J. tropiano all contributed RBIs for the winners.
In Game 2, sophomore Felix Diaz cracked a home run to spark a 7-3 triumph. Pitcher Danny Kerr closed out the win with a dominant seventh inning.
The sweep enabled the Runners to improve to 10-3 overall with their next outing on the road on Wednesday at Monroe College (NY). First pitch is set for 1 pm.
