PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – As a team, the Cardinals found themselves faced with one of their toughest tasks of the season as they tried to take out NCAA Division III baseball's number-one team in SUNY Cortland and although they battled valiantly Plattsburgh State fell to the Red Dragons twice at Chip Cummings Field on Saturday afternoon.

With the losses, Plattsburgh State fell to 12-19 and and 6-11 in SUNYAC games while the Red Dragons improved to 31-2 and clinched the top overall seed for the 2015 SUNYAC Championship Tournament with a conference mark of 16-1. Plattsburgh State was elimited from playoff contention with the losses.

Prior to the start of the league bouts, the Cardinals' nine-member senior class of Mike Vargues, Matt Meunier, Nick Lupo, Matt Krogh, Brian Latulipe, Joe Tolosky, Will Flynn, Chris Pescetti and Frank Buksa was honored with a short ceremoy at home plate. 

GAME ONE: SUNY Cortland 25, Plattsburgh State 8
Five Plattsburgh State arms tried their best to cool down the bats of SUNY Cortland, but nothing seemed to work as the Red Dragons piled up 27 hits en route to a 25-8 win in game one of the conference double dip.

The Red Dragons amassed at least three runs in every inning but two in the nine-inning bout. Plattsburgh State also suffered from an off day on defense as the Cardinals committed seven errors which accounted for six unearned runs to touch home plate.

In their first two sets of at-bats, Cortland amassed five runs, but senior Matt Krogh broke up the Red Dragons' shutout bid in the home portion of the second. The Troy, N.Y., product shot a two-out double down the right field line to score Billy Rombauts and TJ Montalbano making the score 5-2.

Starting pitcher Mike Vargues gave up another trio of runs to the visitors in the top of the third, though, which made the Cardinals' deficit one of the six-run variety. Two of the three scores that made the score 8-2 were unearned.

SUNY Cortland extended its advantage to 14-2 before the Cardinals struck pay dirt again. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Montalbano picked up an RBI with a run-producing single to right field. The base knock scored Frank Buksa who laced a connected on a one-out double down the left field chalk earlier in the frame.

Vargues notched an RBI when his sacrifice fly scored Frank Buksa in the bottom of the eighth, making the score 22-4.

Trailing 25-4 heading to the bottom of the ninth, the Cardinals were able to double their run total before all was said and done. Seniors Nick Lupo and Frank Buksa each collected an RBI and the Cardinals showed great patience at the plate by taking six walks in the half-inning.

Montalbano and Alex Rodriguez were issued bases-loaded walks with two outs while allowed Frank Buksa and Joe Tolosky – both of whom hail from Plattsburgh, N.Y. – to cross home plate for the final runs of the day.

Frank Buksa, Lupo and Montalbano each amassed two hits during the first game of the doubleheader. Fourteen Red Dragons were credited with at least one hit and the primary producer of offense for he visitors was Matthew Michalski who went 4-for-5 with five RBI. The third baseman also scored six of Cortland's 25 runs. Donny Castaldo racked up four RBIs and two runs on a 2-for-4 performance.

Vargues fell to 1-7 after firing just four innings and surrendering 11 hits and 11 runs. Only five of those scores were earned, though. Brandon Serio upped his flawless 2015 record to 6-0 as he tossed six innings of six hit, three-run baseball.

GAME TWO: SUNY Cortland 6, Plattsburgh State 0
It turned out to be very difficult for the home team to get anything going in the batter's box against SUNY Cortland starter Alex Weingarten. Only Chris Pescetti and Mike Vargues were able to register hits for Plattsburgh State – both of which were singles.

Tasked with trying to stop one of the top lineups in all of NCAA Division III baseball, Plattsburgh State pitching ace Scott Orr did all he could to limit the Red Dragons. Cortland notched the game-winning score in the top of the first when Ziemendorf grounded out to second base which allowed Castaldo to score from third. The aforementioned Castaldo reached on a leadoff single – the Red Dragons' lone hit in the frame.

On the strength of four more hits in the top of the second, the Red Dragons extended their lead to 4-0. From there, though, Orr did a fine job of quieting down Cortland's bats as he held the SUNYAC Tournament's number-one seed hitless through the next trio of frames.

SUNY Cortland went on to tack on another pair of runs in the shutout – one each in the sixth and seventh frames.

Castaldo finished with a game-high three hits in his four at-bats and also scored three of the Red Dragons' six runs. Orr fell to 5-3 with the loss and gave up 10 hits, three walks and all six earned runs in the complete-game effort.

Weingarten's seven-strikeout, complete game outing on the hill upped his record to 6-1. Aside from the Cardinals' two hits, the only other batter who reached the basepaths was Vargues who was drilled by an offering in the seventh.

Plattsburgh State will finish up its 2015 conference schedule when it returns to Chip Cummings Field on Sunday at noon to conclude its three-game series with the Red Dragons.