Compiled by Craig Potter
Today’s SportsROC Report includes stories on the Rochester Red Wings win in Syracuse, and the Rochester Americans sign two players.
The Rochester Red Wings concluded an abbreviated road trip with a sweep against the Syracuse Chiefs on Sunday with a 5-2 victory.
Kennys Vargas belted his homer of the season to tie the game 1-1 in the second. The Chiefs scored in the first off starter Jose Berrios.
Aquinas graduate Chris Bostick played third base for the Chiefs and batted fifth. He doubled in the second inning, took third on a groundout and scored the go-ahead run, 2-1, when Wings shortstop Tommy Field had a rare throwing error on a ground ball. Bostick finished the game 1-for-3.
Field made amends for his miscue by smashing a solo homer over the left field fence to lead off the third, then Adam Brett Walker followed with his 16th home run, another solo blast over the left field fence to put Rochester back in front, 3-2.
The Wings continued the rally as John Ryan Murphy singled with one out. James Beresford drew a walk, and Jorge Polanco delivered a 2-out RBI single to plate Murphy with the third run of the frame and a 4-2 advantage.
Rochester tacked on an insurance run in the ninth when Logan Schafter drove in Darin Mastroianni.
Berrios went the distance on the mound for his 8th win in 11 decisions. He scattered 4 hits and struck out 7 batters.
Rochester won its 50th game of the season against 35 losses to remain 2.5 games behind North Division leader Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (52-32).
The Red Wings return to Frontier Field on Monday, the 4th for a 7:05 game against the Buffalo Bisons with fireworks to follow.
OF Eddie Rosario was recalled by the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.
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The Rochester Americans announced today that the team has signed defenseman Mac Bennett and forward Daniel Muzito-Bagenda to 1-year American Hockey League contracts.
Bennett, 25, played in 35 AHL games last season with the St. John’s IceCaps, recording three points (1+2) and 30 penalty minutes. He also appeared in four games with the ECHL’s Brampton Beast. In 2014-15, the 6-foot, 189-pound native of Narragansett, Rhode Island, registered 12 points (4+8) and 10 penalty minutes in 59 AHL games with the Hamilton Bulldogs as a rookie. Prior to his professional career, Bennett played four seasons at the University of Michigan, where he served as team captain in 2013-14. In 136 career games at Michigan, he collected 65 points (14+51) and 53 penalty minutes. Bennett was originally selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the third round (79th overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft.
Muzito-Bagenda, 20, appeared in 63 games with the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) last season, his first in North America. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound native of Umea, Sweden, recorded 37 points (20+17) and 36 penalty minutes to rank third on his team in goals. Muzito-Bagenda added 10 points (6+4) in seven playoff contests to rank second on his team in postseason scoring. Prior to joining Mississauga, Muzito-Bagenda recorded 35 points (10+25) in 37 games with MODO’s U20 team in Sweden during the 2014-15 season while also appearing in three professional games with MODO.