Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Some clutch hitting and a great day at the dish by senior Mike Mulvihill helped the Plattsburgh State baseball team earn a pair of victories against Castleton State at Chip Cummings Field on Sunday afternoon.
Mulviihll racked up six hits on the afternoon and finished the doubleheader with four RBIs as the Cardinals improved to 13-23. Castleton State dropped to 25-11.
GAME ONE: Plattsburgh State 11, Castleton State 10 (9 inn.)
Offensive production was plentiful to say the least as the Cardinals and Spartans combined for 32 hits through the course of nine innings. No base knock, however, proved more important than the one Kevin Briggs came up with in the bottom of the ninth as his single scored Eric Dwyer and game the Cardinals a walk-off victory in comeback fashion.
Castleton State got under the skin of Plattsburgh State starter Scott Orr early on as the visitors collected four of their 15 hits in the first inning. Macyn Clifford laced a two-out single to center field that scored two of the three Spartan runs in the frame.
It didn’t take long for the Cardinals to respond, as Chris Pescetti sent a hard-hit ball through the right side of the Castleton State infield that brought in a pair of Plattsburgh State runs. With just one out in the board, the Spartans committed two errors and Mike Mulvihill knotted matters at three when his RBI double plated Pescetti.
Later in the frame, Nick Lupo shot a sharp single up the middle and picked up a pair of RBIs that gave the Cardinals a 5-3 lead.
Pescetti helped the Cardinals pad their lead during their next set of plate appearances when his sacrifice fly scored Mat Chavez and made the score 6-3. Another Plattsburgh State run crossed home by way of the third Castleton State miscue of the game. In the bottom of the third, Jimmy Rosario grounded out to second, sending Kevin Briggs to third.
Joe Borowski sent a risky throw to third to try and take out Briggs, and the throw found its way into the outfield allowing Briggs to score easily to make the score 7-3.
The Spartans came charging back in the top of the fourth as they plated four runs to knot matters at seven. In the fifth, Ross Levinson surrendered the next Castleton State run on a fielder’s choice that put the Cardinals down 8-7.
Rosario put the Cardinals back on top in the home half of the fifth when his single up the middle scored Nick Lupo and Shane Houppert. Later in the inning, Matt Meunier blasted a double to left-center field that scored Rosario and gave Plattsburgh State a 10-8 lead.
Fighting their way back to tie matters at 10, the Spartans scored one run in the seventh and another in the eighth before Briggs delivered his walk-off hit.
Shunsuke Sugimoto (1-0) picked up the first win of his career, working two innings and giving up two hits which translated to one run.
Chavez, Briggs and Mulvihill each racked up a trio of hits while Lupo, Pescetti and Rosario each had two RBIs.
Plattsburgh State pounded out 17 hits in the game and committed just one error compared to four by the visitors.
GAME TWO: Plattsburgh State 5, Castleton State 4 (7 inn.)
Down 4-0 heading into the bottom of the third, Mulvihill got the Cardinals on the board by blasting a no-doubt home run to left field. The long ball was the third of Mulvihill’s career and the first home run hit by the Cardinals this season.
The Spartans did all of their offensive damage in the first two innings thanks in large part to two of the three Plattsburgh State errors in the game.
All three of the runs Castleton State scored off of starter Joe Leddy in the top of the second were of the unearned variety.
Mulvihill came up with another big hit in the bottom of the fifth when he ripped a one-out double down the left field line that scored Meunier and Rosario and brought the Cardinals within one, 4-3.
In the sixth, Rosario came up with a clutch hit of his own when his one-out RBI single plated pinch runner JD Springer and tied things at four.
Another costly error by the Spartans allowed the sixth inning to continue which set the stage for Chavez to deliver a two-out RBI single that plated Rosario.
Plattsburgh State reliever Rafael Ponce got a double-play ball in the top of the seventh to help the Cardinals preserve their win. Ponce (1-1) earned the victory with a line of two innings pitched, one walk and a pair of strikeouts. The sophomore got out of a jam in the top of the sixth when he struck out two consecutive batters with a runner on third.
Mulvihill had a great game, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a run scored. Rosario enjoyed a great game at the dish as well, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
The Cardinals will play their 2013 season finale on Tuesday evening at Lefty Wilson Field in Plattsburgh. SUNY Canton will be the foe as the Cardinals play their Brian Mehan Be The Match Game to honor former Plattsburgh State player Brian Mehan who passed away from cancer five years ago. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
