Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – It was a tough day at the plate for the Plattsburgh State baseball team as the Cardinals amassed just nine hits in a pair of losses against SUNYAC foe Oswego State on senior day at Chip Cummings Field.

With the setbacks, the Cardinals fall to 11-23 and 4-14 in league play while the Lakers improve to 21-13 and 12-6 in SUNYAC action. Oswego State clinched the third seed for the upcoming SUNYAC Tournament.

GAME ONE: Oswego State 4, Plattsburgh State 0 (10 inn.)
What started out as a pitching duel between Plattsburgh State ace Brian Burns and Oswego’s James McKenna turned into a woeful extra-inning affair for the Cardinals who committed four errors in the game.

Prior to the start of the first game, the Cardinals held a brief ceremony to honor their nine-member senior class which consisted of Casey Brighton, Brian Burns, Steven Corea, Mike Doughtie, Kyle Kelly, Mike Mulvihill, Marc Plante, Jimmy Rosario and team manger Eric Gissendanner.

The Lakers pushed all four of their runs across in the top of a troublesome tenth frame for the Cardinals in the field. After Burns issued a leadoff base on balls to Scott Buniak to open the inning, a throwing error by Burns on a sacrifice bunt attempt followed by an intentional walk to Tim Smith loaded the bases.

Mike Mascari produced the majority of the damage in the frame with a single to center field. Making matters worse, another Plattsburgh State error caused all three Oswego State runs to score and allowed Mascari to slide easily into third base.

Andrew Lazzaro followed up with an RBI single that accounted for the final score of game one.

It was extremely difficult for the Cardinals to get anything going against McKenna (4-2), who fired nine innings of shutout baseball while allowing just five hits. Nick Lupo went 2-for-4 to lead the way for the home team.

Burns was hit with the loss as he gave up 12 hits but just one earned run while striking out five through 10 innings of work.

GAME TWO: Oswego State 5, Plattsburgh State 2 (9 inn.)
Having recovered from their numerous errors in the first game, the Cardinals still couldn’t come up with the necessary firepower at the plate to keep up with the Lakers in the final game of the series.

The Cardinals grabbed their only lead of the day when after Mat Chavez smacked a sacrifice fly to center field to score Luke Weaver in the bottom of the fourth making matters 1-0.Weaver led off the frame with a triple which was one of the three extra-base hits for the home team in the contest.

Steven Corea was knocked around by the Oswego State lineup in the top of the fifth as the Lakers took a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The senior walked the first batter he encountered in the frame and gave up his third hit of the ballgame moments later.

A sacrifice fly began the scoring for the Lakers before a pair of RBI doubles off the bats of John Rauseo and Mike McMullen put the visitors up 3-1 as the game reached its halfway point.

Brian Latulipe was able to cut the Oswego State lead in half with an RBI groundout in the bottom of the sixth that scored John Casten, but the Lakers quickly recovered their lost run in the next half inning.

A sacrifice fly by Rauseo made things 4-2 Oswego State before the Lakers came up with a two-out RBI single in the top of the ninth to account for the final score.

Corea (1-1) took the loss after five innings of work in which he gave up three runs and five of the 12 Oswego State hits. Weaver went 2-for-4 with a run scored for the Cardinals.

Jon Stevens improved to 4-2 for the Lakers by firing seven innings in which he gave up all four of the Plattsburgh State hits and struck out three.

With their 2013 SUNYAC schedule in the books, the Cardinals will host Castleton State in a pair of non-conference games on Sunday afternoon at Chip Cummings Field. The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.