CANTON, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State baseball team scored 30 runs in their State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) doubleheader against SUNY Canton, but split the twin bill, winning 16-4 in game one and falling 15-14 in game two. Colin Ross (Mastic Beach, N.Y./William Floyd) homered three times in the game two loss, a new program, single-game record, totaling five hits on the day to lead the Cardinal's offensive explosion. 

Ross's three homers are the most in a single game in Plattsburgh State baseball history, surpassing 11 Cardinals that had multi-homer games including teammates Alex Kornblau (Pound Ridge, N.Y./Fox Lane), Jonathan Beale (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's Boys), and Kyle Cremin (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Kennedy Catholic). The team also hit six homers in the game two loss, a new program record, surpassing the previous record of four achieved against Brockport on April 26, 2005.

Josh Foglia (Latham, N.Y./Shaker) had six hits across the two games, bringing up his season average to .396. Cremin added a homer and four hits across the doubleheader, while Beale and TJ Beninati (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) each had homers to help set the new program record.

The Cardinals move to 7-14 (1-7 SUNYAC) and next host St. Lawrence on Wednesday, Apr. 16, at 3 p.m. at Chip Cummings Field. The Canton Kangaroos move to 6-16 (3-8 SUNYAC) and next host Plattsburgh on Thursday, Apr. 1,7 at 3 pm.

Game One: Plattsburgh 16, Canton 4 (7 innings)

The Cardinals' offense exploded for 16 runs in the game one win, scoring five runs in the fourth and fifth to pull away for the run-rule win in seven innings. Foglia led the offensive effort with a 4-5 day, driving in one and scoring twice while also doubling twice.

Austin Caldwell (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) was 2-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored in the win, while Cremin and Beale each drove in two runs, with Cremin also scoring three runs. Michael Piccirillo (Glen Cove, N.Y./Glen Cove) drove in three runs, and Ross had two hits, which including a double, as well as two run scores and an RBI.

Jack Castillo (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) earned the win with five solid innings, allowing three earned runs while striking out five. Ty Nelson (Rosedale, N.Y./Springfield Gardens) and Christian Diaz (Middletown, N.Y./Iona Prep) each tossed scoreless innings in relief.

Sal Diaz had a two-run homer for Canton, while Maxwell Rose took the loss, allowing nine runs over four innings pitched.

The Cardinals jumped out to an early advantage in the first as Cremin and Beale each singled in a run, and Cremin eventually scored on a throwing error. In the second, Foglia doubled in Adam Wein (North Rockland, N.Y./Don Bosco Prep) to put the Cards up 4-0.

After the 'Roos scored twice in the bottom half of the second inning, Plattsburgh responded in the fourth with five runs to create a nice cushion. Joey Di Rocco (Congers, N.Y./Clarkstown South) doubled home Wein to start the scoring before Caldwell singled him home. Ross followed with a single to score Foglia, and then the Cards added two more runs when Caldwell stole home and Ross scored on an error to give the team a 9-2 lead.

The Cards added five more runs in the fifth as Caldwell and Cremin were each hit with the bases loaded, and Beale was walked with the bases loaded to bring in a run. Piccirillo put the cherry on top with a two-run single to center field, giving the Cards a 14-2 lead.

The team went on to tack onto the lead in the seventh with a Piccirilo RBI fielder's choice and a Ryan Hart (Portland, Ore./Jesuit) RBI single to go up 16-4. Diaz pitched the final inning, retiring all three batters he faced to give the Cards their first SUNYAC victory of the 2025 season.

Game Two: Canton 15, Plattsburgh 14

In a dramatic, back-and-forth game, the 'Roos came out on top of the nightcap of the twin bill on Monday, using a five-run ninth to walk off the Cards.

Ross led the way for Plattsburgh with his record-setting, three-homer day, as he also drove in five runs. Cremin added three hits and two RBI, blasting his first homer of the season, and Foglia was 2-4 with an RBI. Beale had a two-run homer for the Cards, while Beninati had a solo blast to help the team set their new team record of six home runs in one game.

AJ Campi was 2-4 with four RBI for Canton, including his walk-off three-run triple. Derek Maldanado homered and was 2-4 with three runs scored and two RBI, and Diaz was 2-4 with three runs scored, an RBI, and two walks. The Kangaroo offense took advantage of 13 Plattsburgh walks, along with six HBP, to aid in their win.

The Cardinals picked up right where they left off in game one, scoring three runs in the first to take an early lead. Foglia singled home Di Rocco to give the Cards a 1-0 lead just two batters in, and Ross hit his third homer of the season to give Plattsburgh a 3-0 first-inning advantage.

Free passes allowed the Kangaroos to tie it in the bottom of the first, a 3-3 tie that was broken by a three-homer inning for the Cards in the third. Ross led off the inning with a homer on the first pitch, and Cremin homered three pitches later to put Plattsburgh up 5-3. After a four-pitch walk to Diltz, Beale homered on an 0-2 pitch to give the Cardinals a 7-3 advantage.

Maldanado responded in the bottom of the third with a solo home run, but Ross hit his third homer of the game in the top of the fourth, another no doubt blast to right center to put Plattsburgh back up by four runs.

Beninati hit his first homer of his collegiate career on the first pitch of his at-bat in the fifth, putting Plattsburgh up 9-4. In the bottom half of the inning, the Kangaroos tied the game, scoring five runs on four hits, three walks, and a HBP. In the seventh, they took a brief lead, as Mark Maybee flied out to right to bring home Diaz with a sacrifice fly.

Plattsburgh responded in the eighth as Foglia was hit to lead off the inning and pinch ran for by Ben Catrambone (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna). Caldwell doubled down the right field line in his next at-bat to put runners on second and third with no outs. After a flyout to shallow right field, Cremin hit a deep flyout from left that easily scored Catrambone to tie the game at 10-10, but Caldwell was caught trying to take third base to end the inning.

The game remained tied after a scoreless bottom half of the inning, and the Cardinals used a four-run inning to take a lead into the bottom of the ninth. A leadoff single, error, and then sacrifice bunt put Aidan Diltz (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) on third with one out. The 'Roos then intentionally walked Beninati to set up the double play, but the pinch-hitter for the next batter in Kornblau was hit to load the bases. Di Rocco followed with a single to center to give the Cards the lead, 11-10. Catrambone, who came on as a pinch runner for Foglia, who already had six hits, then laced a double down the right field line to score two and put the Cards ahead 13-10. After another HBP, Ross flied out to left to score Di Rocco and put Plattsburgh up 14-10.

In the bottom of the ninth, three walks and a HBP, along with a one-out single, put Canton down 14-12 with two outs, and Campi blasted a triple to center, easily scoring three runs and giving the Kangaroos the win. 

---