Box Score WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Freshman pitcher Scott Orr pitched a phenomenal game, but the Plattsburgh State baseball team just couldn’t get anything going while in the batter’s box as the Cardinals dropped a 2-0 decision to Farmingdale State on Thursday morning at the RussMatt Invitational.
Orr, a first-year player out of Baldwinsville, N.Y., fired 8.1 innings while giving up just three hits and one earned run. He also racked up a trio of strikeouts while issuing just one walk during his outing.
Plattsburgh State outpaced the Rams in both hits (7-4) and walks (4-2), but couldn’t bring anyone around to score despite having a number of great opportunities to do so.
“The way our offense has been playing is very disappointing,” said Plattsburgh State head coach Kris Doorey. “Our pitchers have been doing well, but our offense hasn’t been doing anything to support them. Everybody is so tense at the plate and we’re just trying to do too much.”
It looked as though the Rams would be the team to blink first as the Cardinals began the bottom of the eighth in a strong fashion. Brian Latulipe drew the third walk of the day for the Cardinals to lead things off before Mike Mulvihill punched a single into right field.
After the pair pulled off a successful double steal, Framingham State pitcher Kevin Valley saw one of his offerings to Chris Pescetti dribble past Rams’ backstop Anthony Iafolla. Latulipe broke for home plate, but was tagged out by Iafolla to keep the score 0-0.
Pescetti managed to draw a walk to put runners at the corners, but Mike Vargues popped up into an inning-ending double play on a suicide squeeze attempt that brought the frame to a close.
The Rams tacked on the only two runs of the game came in the top of the ninth inning. Orr exited the game with runners on first and second, giving way to Brian Burns when Billy Desroiser send a high one-out chopper through the right side of the Cardinals’ infield, scoring Cameron Couillard who had been on base because of an error by Mike Vargues.
Jake Wardwell tacked on an insurance run when his sacrifice fly allowed Will Crofton to cross home plate.
Mulvilhill went 2-for-3 on during the contest to lead the Cardinals who stranded 10 runners on base. Luke Weaver was 2-for-4 at the dish as Orr (0-1) took the tough loss. Patrick Holden was able to secure the win for the Rams.
Plattsburgh State will begin its 2013 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) schedule in the Sunshine State on Friday when the Cardinals face Fredonia State in a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.
