MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Lights out pitching? Nope. Defense over offense? No way. Runs, hits and drama, though? You better believe it. 

The Plattsburgh State baseball team and Manhattanville College combined to produce 62 runs, 59 hits and nine home runs - two of which were of the walk-off variety - in a pair of 16-15 games at the Ripken Experience on Sunday afternoon. 

Those two high-scoring contests took over eight hours to complete and at the end of the day each squad picked up a win. Plattsburgh State moves to 3-3 while the Valiants are 1-1 in 2015 so far. 

GAME ONE: Plattsburgh State 16, Manhattanville 15 (11 inn.)
After emerging as one of the heroes on the hill for the Cardinals Saturday afternoon, final-year man Mike Vargues sauntered into the batter's box in the bottom of the 11^th and clubbed a two-run, walk-off long ball which capped a nine-run comeback effort by Plattsburgh State.

Slugging their way into the lead early on, the Valiants touched up Cardinals' starter Scott Orr for a trio of home runs through the first three frames of the high-scoring affair. Chris Conklin opened the scoring with a two-run shot in the first before Bobby Guerra and Joe Anselmi drilled solo bombs in the top half of the second and third respectively. Those deep balls helped Manhattanville take a 6-3 lead into the fourth.

The Cardinals held their first lead of the game in the bottom of the first when Alex Rodriguez singled in Nick Lupo who reached by way of the first of three errors by the Valiants. Able to plate another score thanks to another Manhattanville miscue, the Cardinals saw T.J. Montalbano send a sacrifice fly to right field which plated Frank Buksa and pushed the home team ahead by a 3-2 tally.

Rodriguez closed the Cardinals' three-run gap to just two with his second RBI of the day in the third. Reaching on a fielder's choice, the junior pushed Lupo across the dish again to make the score 6-4.

It looked as though the Valiants would run away with the win after a seven-run seventh. Each of the seven scores occurred with two outs on the board and it was Robbie Lynch and Nick Euvino who did a big portion of the damage.

Luis Pepen Matos took the ball from Trevor Markey and induced back-to-back outs on the first two Valiants he faced, but Lynch swatted a two-run single to center before Euvino added a deep triple which brought in another pair of Manhattanville runners.

Down 13-4 heading to the seventh, the Cardinals began the slow process of chipping away. Frank Buksa shot an RBI double to center before Rodriguez upped his RBI count for the game to three. Brandon Buksa drew a bases-loaded walk which brought Rodriguez home and made it a 13-7 score.

Plattsburgh State's bats were still red-hot in the bottom of the eighth and five walks issued by a pair of Manhattanville hurlers aided the Cardinals' comeback efforts, too. Montalbano and Billy Rombauts each slammed a two-run double in the four-run inning and brought the Cardinals within two, 13-11.

After another Valiant score in the top of the ninth, the Cardinals forced extras thanks to Rodriguez and Montalbano. The former shot a one-run double down the left field line before Montalbano knotted matters at 14-all with a one-out, two-run single.

Manhattanville regained the lead by way of a wild pitch in the visitors' half of the 11^th before Vargues' dramatic swing closed things out.

The Valiants used eight arms in the offensive extravaganza while the Cardinal sent five different individuals to the hill. Andrew Kramer (1-0) picked up the win by working the final three innings of action. He did not allow a hit and struck out two. Joe Anselmi (0-1) took the loss for Manhattanville.

Montalbano and Rodriguez combined to go 6-for-11 at the plate and totaled 11 RBIs and four runs between them.

GAME TWO: Manhattanville 16, Plattsburgh State 15 (7 inn.)
Another walk-off homer – this one a grand slam – capped the two-game series between the two squads, but this time it was John Delahanty getting the better of the Cardinals with his big swing.

Once again, pitching and defense were secondary concerns for the two teams as they combined for five home runs and 10 extra base hits.

Lynch put the Valiants on the board right away with a two-run round tripper in the bottom of the first. The Cardinals, though, responded in a big way when the second inning rolled around.

Chris Pescetti and Vargues blasted back-to-back balls out of the park and Frank Buksa added an RBI single which to finish off the four-run inning and put the Cardinals up 4-2.

The frantic game of call and response continued in a four-run Manhattanville third. Guerra conjured up the big hit in that frame, producing a two-run double. Lynch pelted his second home run of the tilt – another two-run job - in the fourth to push the Manhattanville lead to 8-4.

Plattsburgh State jumped back on top with a six-run fifth which was aided greatly by the Valiants lack of control on the mound. Manhattanville handed out five more walks in that frame and the Cardinals got RBI singles from Frank Buksa and Alex Rodriguez to get the offense going.

Taking advantage of a shaky performance by Anthony Colon, the Cardinals added their final three runs of the frame without swinging the bat. Rombauts and Matt Krogh were each hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Vargues drew a bases-loaded walk.

Up 10-8, the Cardinals saw the Valiants leap ahead again in the home half of the fifth. Three runs were scored, two of which came when Lynch pushed a one-out single to center field.

After Montalbano knotted matters at 11 in the top of the sixth, the Cardinals put themselves in a comfortable position thanks to a four-run seventh. Manny Boccini and Montalbano poked one-out RBI singles to the outfield while Lupo and Zach Hieb were credited for one RBI each in the frame, too.

All that happened, though, before Delahanty's big-time long ball in the bottom of the seventh. Spurred into action on the mound, Vargues (1-2) gave up the grand slam while Williams Tempone (1-0) hurled a scoreless seventh to score the win.

Frank Buksa, Rodriguez and Montalbano each had two-hit games for the Cardinals while nine players picked up at least one RBI. Montalbano added three RBIs and Frank Buksa, Pescetti and Vargues registered two each. Lynch went 3-for-4 with six RBIs and four runs scored for the Valiants. Delahanty finished with a 2-for-5 day and amassed five RBIs and one run.

This Saturday, the Cardinals are scheduled to make their New York debut when they head down to Farmingdale State for a noon doubleheader.