Box Score FORT MYERS, Fla. - Facing an eight-run deficit in the late stages of the game, the Plattsburgh State baseball team turned its offense up several notches over the final three frames only to see its bid for a large-scale comeback fall just short in a 13-12 loss to Knox College during the Cardinals' final game of the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic on Sunday afternoon.
Junior Chris Pescetti put forth an impressive performance, going 3-for-4 with six of the Cardinals' (7-10) 10 RBI.
In a game which featured a combined 29 hits and 25 runs, the first four innings proved to be relatively quiet. Knox knocked in the sole run during that span when Ryan Weitendorf struck for a two-out RBI double in the home half of the third inning.
Yuya Osawa, who received the starting assignment on the bump for Plattsburgh State, ran into some trouble in the bottom of the fifth. The sophomore hit the first pair of batters he faced before committing an error that upped the Knox advantage to 3-0.
Weitendorf went on to add an RBI single before a pair of singles sandwiched the first out of the frame and loaded the bases.
With that, Osawa returned to the Cardinals' dugout and gave way to Mike Vargues who fanned the first batter he went up against. Knox College tacked on three more runs in their big inning by way of a two-run by Paul Sanders and a double steal to make matters 7-0.
Not long after the Prairie Fire put up a crooked number, the Cardinals followed suit with a big inning of their own. Facing the third Knox arm in Ryder Borre, Plattsburgh State loaded the bases on the right-handed thrower before putting up the first of five runs on a sacrifice fly by Pescetti.
RBI singles off the bats of Shane Houppert and Jon Repetto drew Plattsburgh State closer before Mat Chavez reached on a throwing error by the Knox third baseman. The miscue allowed Houppert and Repetto to cross home plate and make it a 7-5 game.
A combination of three hits, two walks, a pair of hit batters and an error led to six more runs by Knox in the bottom of the sixth. Houppert's error at third base allowed the first two runs to score in the frame. Freshman Luis Pepen Matos took the hill for Plattsburgh State after Knox put their first three runs of the frame on the board.
A wild pitch from Pepen Matos and one RBI each from Austen Lake and Michael O'Connell brought in the last Knox runs of the game.
Pescetti struck again in the seventh when he hit a single to right field that scored Frank Buksa and Luke Weaver.
Still trailing 13-7 entering the top of the eighth, the Cardinals would register just one out before Knox relief arm Ryan Leslie loaded the bases. The Prairie Fire turned to Dustin Armstrong to try and shut down Plattsburgh State, but Pescetti put a stop to that plan when his double down the right field line unloaded the bases. Houppert smacked an RBI single to left center which pulled Plattsburgh State within one, 13-12.
Zach Hieb pinch ran for Houppert and stole a pair of bases but Repetto struck out looking to end the seventh.
The Cardinals had their chances to tie things in the top of the ninth but couldn't capitalize with two runners on.
The loss belonged to Osawa (0-1) who gave up seven runs and eight hits in 4.1 innings of work. Peter Marquardt earned the win for Knox College by firing three innings and allowing just one hit.
O'Connell and Weitendorf each went 3-for-4 for the Prairie Fire. Houppert, Repetto and Weaver each had two hits for Plattsburgh State.
Having wrapped up their Florida slate of games, the Cardinals return to New York to reengage in SUNYAC play. Plattsburgh State is scheduled to begin at three-game series at SUNY Cortland with a single nine-inning game at 3 p.m. on Friday before finishing up the set with a doubleheader on Saturday at noon.
