THROGGS NECK, N.Y. - Nick Cergol (Mount Sinai, N.Y./Mount Sinai) blasted a dramatic three-run home run to give Plattsburgh State baseball a late lead over SUNY Maritime and an eventual win to the Cardinals. Plattsburgh received strong starts from Sean Malamud (Staten Island, N.Y./Susan E. Wagner) and Chris Santic (Stony Point, N.Y./North Rockland) as well during the day, as they opened the season with a split. 

The Cardinals move to 1-1 and will head to Bard College for a doubleheader next weekend, Saturday, Mar. 4, 2023, at noon for their last games before their Myrtle Beach trip. SUNY Maritime moves to 1-1 as well and will face Houghton University in Fort Pierce, Fla. on Mar. 2.

Game One: Plattsburgh State 4, Maritime 3

After failing to have a baserunner with just two outs left in the game, trailing 1-0, the Cardinals had five straight batters reach base, tying the game and taking the lead with Cergol's dramatic homer. Alex Kornblau (Pound Ridge, N.Y./Fox Lane) doubled with one out in the seventh, breaking up the combined perfect game to start the rally. The next batter, sophomore Kyle Cremin (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Kennedy Catholic) singled home Kornblau to tie the game and simultaneously put the go-ahead run on first base. After a hit-by-pitch, Cergol stepped to the plate and drove a ball deep to right field and over the fence for his first collegiate home run to give Plattsburgh a 4-1 lead. 

After an excellent start from Malamud, who went six strong innings, allowing just one run and striking out eight batters, Kolby Mordecki (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) was tasked with nailing down the save. After two runs scored, Mordecki induced two ground outs to end the game and nail down his first career save for Plattsburgh, giving his team the 4-3 win. 

Kornblau, Cremin, Cergol, and Andrew Veit (Yaphank, N.Y./Bellport) each had a hit for Plattsburgh, while Cremin and Conner Gonzalski (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) each stole a base. Malamud cruised through much of his outing, retiring the last eight batters he faced, keeping the Cardinals in the game throughout. 

For the Privateers, Jonathan Racanello was charged with the loss while Nick Pinggera had two hits and an RBI. 

Game Two: Maritime 3, Plattsburgh 1

The Cardinals struggled to piece the offense together in game two, as the Cards managed six hits and left seven runners on base. Santic was strong for the Cards, but a three-run homer in the fifth was all Maritime needed off the left-hander to secure the win. 

Plattsburgh threatened early in the game twice, putting two runners on in the first inning and having a runner thrown out at home in the fourth, keeping them scoreless through four innings. 

Maritime was able to get on the board in the fifth after four scoreless from Santic, as two runners reached on a single and double, leading to a Pinggera three-run home run to give the Privateers the lead. Plattsburgh was able to immediately respond, as Veit doubled in Cremin in the top of the sixth, putting the tying run on second base, but Maritime escaped the Cardinal rally to hold the lead. 

After a scoreless bottom of the sixth from Logan Avin (Honolulu, Hawaii/Waterford(Conn.)), the Cardinals threatened in the seventh, as Jack Defayette (Rotterdam, N.Y./Schalmont) notched his first career hit for Plattsburgh with a double, but was stranded by the tying run as the Privateers earned the doubleheader split. 

Cremin recorded another stolen base for Plattsburgh as Gonzalski was the only player to reach twice for the Cards. Santic pitched five solid innings for the Cards, striking out four batters and walking none, while Avin also recorded a strikeout in a 1-2-3 sixth. 

For Maritime, Brandon Stanley earned the win, while Rob Copozzi earned the save. Copozzi had two hits and a run scored while Pinggera had the three-run homer.