MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Two strong outings on the mound coupled with a a big day in the batter's box by Brandon Buksa lifted the Plattsburgh State baseball team to its first set of triumphs in 2015 as the Cardinals swept Grove City College 4-0 and 6-1 at the Ripken Experience on Saturday afternoon.

Plattsburgh State rises to 2-2 while the Wolverines, who were making their season debut, slide to 0-2. 

GAME ONE: Plattsburgh State 4, Grove City 0 (7 inn.)
The sunny skies seemed to agree with Cardinals' starter Mike Vargues (1-1), who rendered the Wolverines' bats largely ineffective. A senior out of Gansevoort, N.Y., Vargues hurled a complete-game shutout and allowed Grove City to collect just three hits in the seven-inning bout.

Vargues' settled into a dominant groove early on, sitting down the first 11 batters he faced before issuing a base on balls with two outs in the fourth frame. Eight of the 11 outs came on ground balls and just one came via the punchout.

With Vargues handling things nicely on the hill, the Cardinals pushed across all the offense they required to secure their first 2015 triumph in the top of the third. First-year man Brnadon Buksa legged out an infield single before Matt Krogh laid down a bunt single to put two Cardinals on without a ball leaving the infield.

Senior Nick Lupo continued the hit parade with a single to right and with two down in the inning Frank Buksa pushed the game-winning run across the dish with his infield single to shortstop which plated Krogh.

Before the inning was in the books, though, two more Plattsburgh State runners would rush across the dish by way of a Grove City throwing error.

The top of the sixth saw T.J. Montalbano register the Cardinals' sole extra-base knock of the skirmish as he ripped a one-out two bagger to center field. Senior Chris Pescetti then posted his first RBI of the season when his single scored Montalbano to make it 4-0.

Vargues lost his no-hit bid in the fifth when Nolan Myers poked a two-out single into center field.

Krogh and Montalbano each went 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scores while Vargues' final line read seven innings pitched, three hits, two walks and a trio of strikeouts.

GAME TWO: Plattsburgh State 6, Grove City 1 (7 inn.)
Brandon Buksa broke out the strong steel early on, generating all the offensive punch the Cardinals needed to finish up their sweep of the Wolverines.

The freshman's timely triple back up a solid outing by Will Flynn (1-0), who worked his way out of a one-out bases-loaded jam in the first before being the beneficiary of a heads-up defensive play by Lupo in the second.

Lupo initiated an inning-ending double-play with runners on the corners, snagging a sinking liner by David Laylock before throwing David Fritz out at first.

In the Cardinals' half of the second, Alex Rodriguez picked up the team's first hit with an infield single before Montalbano wore an offering from Ben Finlan to put runners at the corners. After a Pescetti groundout, Billy Rombauts was intentionally walked, setting up Brandon Buksa. The Plattsburgh, N.Y., product blasted a screaming triple down the left field line which cleared the bases. He was later brought home with an RBI single from Lupo which increased the Cardinals' edge to 4-0.

The only Grove City run of the game – and the day – came in the fourth when a two-out Plattsburgh State error allowed Brandon Gresh to cross home and made the tally 4-1.

Two runs in the fourth for the Cardinals closed out the scoring. Krogh added another RBI to his total when his bases-loaded sacrifice fly scored Pescetti. Lupo and Rombauts pulled off a two-out double steal with the latter receiving credit for a swipe of home plate for the sixth and final run.

After five innings from Flynn, Andrew Kramer took over for the final two Plattsburgh State frames. The Clifton Park, N.Y., native slipped out of a bases-loaded jam with no out by racking up a strikeout and getting a ground ball double-play.

Flynn gave up five hits, two walks and one unearned run in his season debut. Finlan was hit with the loss for Grove City as he surrendered five hits and six earned runs through four innings of work.

Of the five Plattsburgh State hits, Brandon Buksa had two of them as he went 2-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs and a run scored.

The Cardinals will wrap up their four-game set in Myrtle Beach on Sunday when they face off against Manhattanville in a doubleheader at noon.