MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – In a closely contested game, the Plattsburgh State baseball team fell to Middlebury College 3-2 in extra innings. The Cardinals twice came back from being a run down to tie the game but ultimately fell to the host team in ten frames.

For the Cardinals, Alex Kornblau (Pound Ridge, N.Y./Fox Lane) reached base four times, while Colin Ross (Mastic Beach, N.Y./William Floyd) and Kyle Cremin (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Kennedy Catholic) each had an RBI single and walk. Jack Castillo (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) gave the Cardinals a strong start, going five innings and allowing just two earned runs while striking out four. Isaiah Maines (Hudson, N.Y./Hudson) followed with a scoreless inning, and Nick Goldberg (Commack, N.Y./Commack) took the hard luck loss in extras as he went three strong innings allowing just one run.

For Middlebury, Nathan Samii was 2-4 with an RBI, a run scored, and a walk, and Will Ashley was 1-3 with an RBI and a walk. Owen Fox finished the day 0-4 but had the game-winning RBI, beating out the fielder's choice to give his team the win. On the mound, Nico Tambascia got the start and went three strong innings, striking out four without allowing a run, while Anthony Pellagrini earned his first win of the year with a scoreless top of the tenth.

Plattsburgh State falls to 5-9 on the season and next takes on Canton, returning to conference play on Friday, March 28. The Panthers move to 9-7 and next travel to Amherst to open up conference play on Friday, March 28.

The first three innings saw both pitchers throw well on both sides, as Castillo and Tambascia worked out of trouble to keep the game scoreless. In the bottom of the fourth, Middlebury struck first, however, as Ashley singled to right center to bring in a run and put the Panthers up 1-0.

Plattsburgh had an immediate response, however, as Cremin came through with a clutch two-out single to left, tying the game at one run apiece.

The Cardinals could not hold the tie in the fifth, as Middlebury immediately put a runner on, moved him over with a sacrifice, and Samii singled him in to put themselves back in front.

After a scoreless sixth, Plattsburgh State tied the game in the seventh with a two-out rally, as Aidan Diltz (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) had an infield hit and stole second to put himself in scoring position. Ross followed with a single up the middle, just past a diving shortstop, tying the game.

Goldberg was fantastic for the Cards in his first three innings, stranding a runner in scoring position each inning to keep the game tied. In the ninth, an error, a HBP, and walk, loaded the bases for Plattsburgh with just one out, but pinch-hitter Austin Caldwell's (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) hard-hit line drive went right to the first baseman, who easily beat the runner back to the bag to end the inning.

After Pellagrini sat down the Cardinals in order in the tenth, a leadoff walk to Samii had the Cards go to Justin Sargent (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna), who got a flyout after a stolen base for the first out. After an intentional walk to set up the force, a wild pitch moved the winning run just 90 feet away. A subsequent walk loaded the bases, and the next batter, Fox, had a hard hit ground ball to second that was knocked down by the second baseman, but his only play for an out was at second, as Fox beat out the throw to first easily to win the game for the Panthers.