Winter Haven, FL – The SUNY Canton baseball team nearly overcame a five run deficit after six innings of play but fell just short, 11-10, to Fitchburg State College on Tuesday.
Jeremy Baez (Bronx, NY) posted 3 RBIs, while Christian Nazario-Cruz (Naguabo, Puerto Rico), Wilson Matos (Brooklyn, NY) and Chris Jones (Deerfield Beach, FL) drove in three runs each for the Roos (2-4). SUNY Canton scored twice in the top of the second to take a 2-1 lead. Nazario-Cruz plated one runner after getting hit by a pitch and Matos singled to left to score Jesse Barton.
Seven runs in the third and fourth innings helped get the Falcons out to an 8-3 lead after four frames. SUNY Canton got one back in the fifth, but Fitchburg State responded with one run in the sixth to open up a 9-4 advantage.
SUNY Canton posted four runs in the seventh inning to trim the deficit to just one. Jones singled home Seth Douglas. With the bases loaded Matos drew a walk and Jeremy Baez (Bronx, NY) followed with a single to bring Nazario-Cruz and Jones across.
Fitchburg responded with two crucial insurance runs in the bottom half of the inning. SUNY Canton looked to rally in the eighth bringing two runners across on an RBI single from Brandon Welch (Constable, NY) and an RBI for Nazario-Cruz, but they were unable to get the tying run across.
Khalil Bratton (Queens, NY) got the start on the mound throwing five and one-third innings giving up four earned runs.Dom Deliberti (Staten Island, NY) and Keenan Shannon (Ballston Spa, NY) came on in relief to give up just one earned in two and two-thirds innings.
The Roos are off on Wednesday before returning to the diamond on Thursday for a doubleheader against Fredonia beginning at 9:10 a.m. Stay up to date with the latest news directly from the SUNY Canton Athletics department by "liking" us on Facebook and "following" our Twitter, Instagram and YouTube accounts.
About SUNY Canton
SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses, as well as 10 exclusively online bachelor's degrees. The college's 14 athletic teams compete as provisional members of the NCAA Division III and the USCAA.