FORT MYERS, Fla. – In their first action on the diamond in two weeks, the Plattsburgh State baseball team conjured up some 35 hits and went 1-1 against Manchester University in its first two games of the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Fla., on Sunday afternoon.

GAME ONE: Manchester Univ. 10, Plattsburgh State 6 (9 inn.)
What was originally a low-scoring affair through the first seven innings turned into an offensive showcase in the final two innings. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the punch at the plate belonged to the Spartans who employed a seven-run eighth inning to earn a 10-6 win in the first game of the morning.

Plattsburgh State pounded out some 18 hits, but left 13 runners on base in the loss.

Just two runs were tacked up on the board through the first four innings and both of them came by way of bases-loaded walks. Alex Rodriguez and Chris Pescetti were plunked by offerings from Manchester starter Landon Stratford and a T.J. Montalbano single loaded things up before an out was recorded in the second.

Freshman Brandon Buksa drew a one-out walk to receive credit for an RBI which gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.

Senior Nicholas Lupo took a free pass to first to pick up an RBI and plate Pescetti in the top of the fourth for a 2-0 Plattsburgh State edge.

Those two runs seemed like more than enough of a cushion to work with for final-year righty Mike Vargues. The Gansevoort, N.Y., native sat down the first 10 batters he faced and allowed just one baserunner through the opening four frames.

The Spartans cut the Cardinals' lead in half in the home portion of the fifth when Elliott Ford drilled a two-out RBI single to left field.

In the very next set of at-bats for Manchester, it looked as though Vargues would escape the inning unscathed. With two outs, Vargues caught Kyle Norris trying to steal third and caught the Spartan in a rundown. Unfortunately, a throwing error in the rundown sequence allowed Norris to come around and score, tying matters at two after six.

Billy Rombauts bashed a two-out double in the top of the seventh to help the Cardinals reclaim the lead. The sophomore's two-bagger scored Pescetti to make the score 3-2, but Sean Knepper made it a 3-3 score with an RBI single of his own in the Spartan's seventh.

Jack Tolosky produced the Cardinals' final lead of the day when his RBI groundout in the eighth scored Brian Latulipe.

Up 4-3, the Cardinals saw the Spartan's bats come alive and scatter six hits in the eighth. The two biggest mashes in the frame came from Knepper Trevor Kimm. Knepper laced a two-run double to left field while Kimm got all of a Montalbano offering and sent it beyond the left field fence for a two-run long ball.

Matt Krogh and Latulipe helped the Cardinals narrow the gap in the ninth by conjuring up RBI doubles, but that was as close as Plattsburgh State would get.

Latulipe had an excellent day at the plate, going 5-for-6 with an RBI as well as a run scored. Montalbano smacked three hits, and Andrew Kramer took the loss for the Cardinals.

GAME TWO: Plattsburgh State 14, Manchester Univ. 5 (9 inn.)
With temperatures soaring into the 90's, the Cardinals' bats also heated up to secure a split with the Spartans. Frank Buksa and Vargues led the charge on offense, racking up five RBIs each as well as seven of Plattsburgh State's 17 hits.

On the hill, junior Scott Orr stepped in and delivered five innings of fine relief work to secure his first win of 2015. Orr, who hails from Baldwinsville, N.Y., allowed just four hits and one run while fanning four batters.

Although the Cardinals wound up tasting victory, Manchester held the lead for the first half of the nine-inning bout. Kimm started things off in a big way for the Spartans, launching a three-run home run past beyond the left field barrier in the top of the first.

Plattsburgh State began slicing into the Spartans' lead during its first set of at bats. Pescetti and Rombauts each picked up an RBI in the bottom of the first to make the score 3-2. The Spartans added one run each in the second and the fifth, but Vargues kept the Cardinals within two by connecting on his third home run of the season in the home half of the fourth.

At a 5-3 disadvantage heading to the bottom of the fifth, Plattsburgh State saw Vargues and Frank Buksa record RBI doubles while Pescetti added an RBI of his own to put the Cardinals on top 6-5.

Frank Buksa kept the momentum squarely in the Cardinals' corner with a two-run double in the sixth. Montalbano followed with an RBI single before Vargues cleared the bases with a three-run double down the left field line to up the Cardinals' edge to 12-5.

Two more RBIs in the seventh from Frank Buksa closed the scoring.

Pescetti and Montalbano each finished with three hits in the win.

Plattsburgh State will face off against Minnesota-Morris at 9 a.m. on Monday morning.