PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — The Plattsburgh State Cardinals opened a midweek break from conference play at home, squaring off against Clarkson University in a back-and-forth contest that ultimately saw the Golden Knights pull away late for a 12–9 decision.
Plattsburgh wasted no time getting on the board in the first inning. After working a runner into scoring position, Michael Piccirillo (Glen Cove, N.Y./Glen Cove) delivered a sacrifice fly to center field, bringing home Jackson Pam (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills East) to give the Cardinals an early 1–0 advantage.
Clarkson responded in the second inning, capitalizing on opportunities to even the score. A sacrifice fly from Christian Barley tied the game before the Golden Knights took a 2–1 lead on a stolen base that allowed another run to cross the plate. The Cardinals answered right back in the home half, as William Keefe (New York, N.Y./Xavier) singled to center to drive in Tyler Martin (New Windsor, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) and knot the score at 2–2.
The Golden Knights continued to apply pressure in the third, using an RBI double to reclaim the lead at 3–2. Clarkson then created separation in the fourth inning, stringing together timely hitting and taking advantage of defensive miscues to plate four runs and extend the lead to 7–2.
Plattsburgh responded with its most explosive inning of the day in the bottom of the fourth. Taking advantage of errors and clutch at-bats, the Cardinals rallied for four runs. RBI contributions from Keefe and Jonathan Beale (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's Boys), along with a sacrifice fly from Pam, trimmed the deficit to just one at 7–6.
The momentum carried into the fifth inning for the Cardinals, Braeden Calkins (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Plattsburgh) delivered a game-tying RBI double before Keefe struck again with an RBI single to give Plattsburgh its first lead since the opening frame at 8–7.
Clarkson answered decisively in the sixth inning. Benefiting from a combination of errors and timely hitting, the Golden Knights pushed across three runs to retake the lead at 10–8.
Plattsburgh remained within striking distance and cut the deficit to one in the eighth inning on another productive out from Pam, scoring Calkins to make it 10–9. However, Clarkson added insurance in the ninth with a sacrifice fly and an additional run scoring on an error to secure the 12–9 final.
With the loss, the Cardinals fall to 9–12 on the season and will return to action Tuesday, April 14, as they remain in non-conference play with a road doubleheader against Middlebury.
