FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Plattsburgh State baseball team improved to 11-1 on the season with two wins over Minnesota-Morris (8-1, 8-2) at the Gene Cusic Collegiate. The Cardinals are currently on a school record-setting 11-game win-streak since dropping their first game of the season to Manchester, 6-1.
In game one, Plattsburgh opened up with two runs in the first inning. Donny Coolidge hit a sacrifice fly to score Anthony Presto and Casey Brighton hit a single to centerfield later in the inning, driving in Danny Roeser.
The Cardinals really came out firing in the fourth inning, extending their lead to 7-0 with five runs. Brighton reached base on an error and scored on an RBI double by Andrew Baio. Pat Shaughnessy singled later in the inning and crossed the plate when Matt Burns singled with two outs on the board. Roeser picked up an RBI of his own when he doubled to center and allowed Burns to score. Roeser was followed at the plate by Tory Bouyea, who knocked Presto in with an RBI single, and then scored the fifth run of the inning on a wild pitch.
Plattsburgh picked up one more run in the fifth with homer to left by Shaughnessy and the Cougars finally answered with one run of their own in the seventh.
The Cardinals ended up recording 10 hits to Minnesota-Morris' two. Shaughnessy and Burns led the way with two apiece. All eight of the Cardinals' runs were unearned.
Tyler Greene earned the win on the mound and worked a perfect game through six innings. He surrendered a leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh, but ended the game having only given up two hits and striking out six.
"It was an awesome game from Tyler Greene. He was so close to making history. He was a strike-throwing machine today and only needed 72 pitches to complete the game," commented Cardinals' head coach Kris Doorey. "Their pitcher didn't throw the ball very hard and it took a while for our hitters to make adjustments. When they did, they finally had quality at-bats."
In the second game, it took until the second inning for the Cards to score their first two runs of the game. James Soto and Brandon Cross scored on a fielding error by the Cougars' shortstop following an at-bat by Greg Larnerd.
Minnesota-Morris answered back with a run in the fourth, but Plattsburgh hit their stride again in the fifth and plated six runs. A highlight of the inning came when Shaughnessy smashed his second homerun of the day, a two-run shot to left, with one out. The Cougars posted their only other run of the game in the seventh and failed to rally past the victorious Cardinals.
Justin Besaw started the game for Plattsburgh and gave up two hits before being taken out in the start of the second. Corey Johnston took over duties on the mound, followed by Casey Mohrien--each pitched an inning. Andrew Price, Mike Doughtie, Matt Seymour and Brian Burns all saw time on the mound, as well, during the seven inning game. Price was credited with giving up the Cougars' lone earned run of the game.
"We were able to get some work for the entire staff and, for the most part, they did well," stated Doorey. "Offensively, we got contributions from everyone in the lineup. Alex Kritzer came up with a big single in the fifth inning with the infield in to open the flood gates and let everyone take a deep breath and relax. Shaughnessy swung the bat better today than he has all season. Hopefully, today will get him started at the plate."
Plattsburgh concludes its trip to Florida tomorrow with a double-header against Millikin. Dan Tracy and Matt O'Leary are set to start.
