AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Plattsburgh State baseball team began play at the RussMatt Invitational by splitting a doubleheader with SUNYAC rival Fredonia State on Thursday afternoon, as it was the first conference games for both teams.
GAME ONE: Fredonia State 4, Plattsburgh State 1It was pitchers' duel between the Cardinals'
Mike Vargues and the Blue Devils' Zachary Jordon through the first four innings, as both hurlers combined to give up just three hits combined during that stretch.
Fredonia State got on the board in the fifth inning when Ricky Mendiola scored after Plattsburgh State committed a fielding error on a sacrificed bunt attempt by Kenny Johnston.
The Cardinals would tie the game in the home sixth, with T.J. Montalbano singling in
Frank Buksa.
Each team left runners on base in the seventh inning, but in the top of the eighth, things would start to unravel for Vargues and the Cardinals.
The inning started with a hit by pitch, and after a sacrifice, Kyle Sherman singled to move the go ahead run to third. Sherman attempted to steal second base, and Buksa would be charged with a throwing error, allowing R.J. Spinella to score to give the Blue Devils a 2-1 lead.
Vargues' day on the mound would end after Ryan Carmody singled to give the Blue Devils runners at the corners with one out.
Andrew Kramer entered for the Cardinals, and was greeted by a Ciro Frontale RBI single, extending the Fredonia State lead to 3-1.
Plattsburgh State was unable to get any closer, leaving three runners on base over the last two innings.
The Blue Devils picked up an insurance run in the top of the ninth, and held on for a 4-1 victory.
Zachary Jordon earned the win for Fredonia State, with Joe DiLeo picking up the save.
In the loss, Buksa, Montalbano, and
Matt Krogh each had two hits for the Cardinals.
GAME TWO: Plattsburgh State 5, Fredonia State 4Game two started off much differently, as both teams would combine to get eight hits in the opening frame; however, the Cardinals were on the wrong side of a 4-1 score after one inning.
Senior
Will Flynn got the start for the designated home-team, but it was short lived as five of the first seven hitters for the Blue Devils reached base, four via double and one via single.
Scott Orr replaced Flynn and was able to limit the damage.
Plattsburgh State quickly began chipping away at the Fredonia State lead, getting a run in the home-half after
Frank Buksa singled to drive in T.J. Montalbano.
The score would remain the same until the bottom of the fifth, when Buksa, a Plattsburgh, N.Y., native, connected on a two-out, three-run home run, his first of the season, tying the game at four.
Orr would hold the Blue Devils in check for the rest of the game, giving up no runs on six hits in six and one-third innings of work.
With the game knotted at four going into the bottom of the seventh, the Cardinals were looking for a walk-off win after being walked-off by Keystone College on Tuesday by a base on balls.
Plattsburgh State's leadoff man Nick Lupo starting the inning with a single.
Brian Latulipe would then reach on an error, setting up first and second with nobody out.
Lupo was then picked off and tagged out at third base, allowing Latulipe to advance to second. Still in the same at-bat, Latulipe would be awarded third base after a balk by Fredonia State's Jake Harford.
After intentionally walking Buksa and T.J. Montalbano to load the bases, senior
Mike Vargues stepped into the batter's box and delivered a walk-off single, giving the Cardinals 5-4 win and split of the doubleheader.
Plattsburgh State will continue play at the RussMatt Invitational first by concluding its SUNYAC opening series against the Blue Devils with a single nine-inning game on Friday morning at 10 a.m. before squaring off against Franklin & Marshall College at 2 p.m.
