Box Score PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Trailing by eight runs in the bottom of the ninth, the Plattsburgh State baseball team sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning before ultimately seeing its comeback attempt fall short in an 11-7 non-conference setback to St. Lawrence University on Wednesday afternoon at Chip Cummings Field.

Engaging in the first non-SUNYAC tilt of 2014 at their home field, the Cardinals (10-20) racked up some 11 hits against the six pitchers used by the Saints. St. Lawrence improved to 14-12 by scoring at least one run in each of its first seven innings.

The visiting squad took a 2-0 lead during its first set of plate appearances. Making his first start of 2014, Shunsuke Sugimoto issued walks to two of the first three batters he faced, setting the table for Devin Robson to come up with an RBI as he grounded into a fielder's choice.

St. Lawrence's first hit of the clash yielded the second run as Zane Fish laced a two-out RBI single to right field, plating Robson.

Playing in left field to begin the ballgame, senior Joe Leddy notched the first hit of the game – not to mention the first hit of his career – for the Cardinals by leading off the home half of the first with a single to center field.

Leddy's base knock would stand as the lone Plattsburgh State hit through almost the first third of the game. Bryan Palermo upped the Saints' edge to 3-0 with a sacrifice fly off of Sugimoto in the second before Brian Magovney made matters 4-0 with a one-out run-scoring single in the visiting part of the third.

Two more St. Lawrence runs would cross the dish in the fourth on sacrifice flies by Palermo and Robson to make the score 6-0 before the Cardinals finally got on the board.

In the home half of the fourth, Plattsburgh State began to string some hits together when Brian Latulipe and Yuya Osawa registered back-to-back singles to kick off the frame. Two outs later, Luke Weaver picked up a pair of RBIs when his single to left plated both Latulipe and Osawa.

Using his speed to his advantage, Weaver stole second and third bases before coming home on an errant toss by St. Lawrence catcher John Ainsley. Weaver's run cut the St. Lawrence lead to 6-3, but the Saints responded by notching five more runs through the fifth and sixth innings – all of which came off of Plattsburgh State reliever Luis Pepen Matos.

Down to their final three outs of the tilt, the Cardinals fought back to load the bases with one out. Freshman Manny Boccini – the second Plattsburgh State batter of the inning – notched a single before Matt Meunier and Mike Doddy each reached base on four-pitch walks.

With that, Latulipe stepped to the plate and delivered a two-run single up the middle which trimmed the Cardinals' deficit to 11-5. Then, the junior swiped second base which allowed Doddy to break for home plate and score safely to make matters 11-6.

Billy Rombauts added the final run of the day for the Cardinals by way of an RBI single which allowed Latulipe to come home safely. With two outs, Plattsburgh State loaded the bases yet again and sent pinch hitter Chris Pescetti to the plate representing the tying run, but the junior flew out to right field to end the game.
Sugimoto (0-1) was the pitcher of record for the Cardinals while Jake Farrell (1-0) picked up his first win by tossing two innings of scoreless relief.

Latulipe and Weaver each finished 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs for Plattsburgh State. Magovney and Mary Syron each notched three of the Saints' 14 hits on the afternoon.

Plattsburgh State will make a trip to Oswego State to finish the remainder of its State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) schedule. On Friday afternoon, the Cardinals will play game one of a three-game set with the Lakers at 3 p.m.