FORT MYERS, Fla – The Plattsburgh State baseball team opened its 2018 season with a 12-5 win over Baruch College at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic Friday night at Terry Park.
The Cardinals set a school record swiping 16 bases, breaking the previous mark of 13 set April 23, 1975 against Potsdam.
Sophomores
Stephen Bryant (Center Moriches, N.Y. / Center Moriches) and
Kentaro Mori (Tokyo, Japan / Joto) tied the school's single-game mark with four steals apiece.
The Cardinals jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second when Mori singled, stole second and eventually scored on an RBI ground out from sophomore
Mike Onufrak (Mattituck, N.Y. / Mattituck).
After the Bearcats tied the game, Plattsburgh answered with another run in the third. Senior
Noah Clark (Toms River, N.J. / Toms River East) drilled a two-out double and scored on Mori's single to center.
The big blow came in the fifth when the Cardinals loaded the bases with three walks and pinch hitter junior
Rocco Cipriano (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. / Dobbs Ferry) delivered a two-run single to left field to increase the lead to 4-1.
Plattsburgh added three more runs in the fifth on a run-scoring single from
Stephen Bryant and another two-run single by Cipriano.
After Baruch narrowed the gap to 7-5, Plattsburgh added five runs over the final three innings. Junior
Jon Craft (Smithtown, N.Y. / Smithtown West) had an RBI double in the seventh and a two-run single in the eighth, while sophomore
Alex Follmer (Plattsburgh, N.Y. / Plattsburgh) and sophomore
Keller Kowalowski (Plattsburgh, N.Y. / Beekmantown) had sacrifice flies in the eighth and ninth innings.
Cardinals starting pitcher junior
Frank Finkbeiner (Stone Ridge, N.Y. / Rondout Valley) worked into the sixth inning allowing five hits, five runs (four earned) and striking out three to earn the win.
Sophomore
Alec Fauvell (Smithtown, N.Y. / Smithtown West) (1 1/3 innings), sophomore
Justin Adams (Valhalla, N.Y. / Westlake) (2/3 innings) and freshman Matt Triolo (Saratoga Springs, N.Y. / Saratoga Springs) (2 innings) combined for 4 scoreless inings out of the bullpen.