FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State baseball team lost the first game, 7-3, of a three-game set against Vassar College in a non-conference series that is being played at Farmingdale State College's Baseball Stadium. The Cardinals, who had not played in exactly two weeks, drop to 3-8 on the season, while the Brewers are 4-6. Saturday's game was a nine-inning affair and Plattsburgh State was the designated visiting team.
Plattsburgh State senior T.J. Montalbano (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills West/Jefferson CC) led the Cardinals' nine-hit attack with a 3-for-4 outing with two RBIs and a sacrifice bunt. Montalbano ups his career hit total to 95. Junior Joe Deland (Farmingville, N.Y./Sachem East/Suffolk County CC) went 2-for-4, while freshman Stephen Bryant (Center Moriches, N.Y./Center Moriches) singled, walked, stole a base and put down a sacrifice bunt. Junior Noah Clark (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East/Caldwell) doubled and freshmen Alex Follmer (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Plattsburgh) and Kentaro Mori (Tokyo, Japan/Joto) both walked twice and scored a run, with Mori also swiping one base. Sophomore Matt Fox (Shoreham, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) allowed five runs on five hits in five innings for the loss. Sophomore Frank Finkbeiner (Stone Ridge, N.Y./Rondout Valley) and freshman Brantley Marion (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Beekmantown Central) both tossed scoreless relief innings.
Vassar's 1-5 batters combined for an 8-for-18 showing. Senior Denis Shanagher, junior Matt Hernandez, sophomore Jake Doyle and freshman Daniel Bonfiglio all went 2-for-4, with Hernandez adding two RBIs and Bonfiglio and Doyle both doubling. Sophomore Taylor Smach was hit by two pitches and also scored a run, while freshman Connor Levchuck walked and stole a base. Junior Derek DeMild earned the win as the third of seven Brewer pitchers by tossing 1.1 scoreless and hitless relief innings. The final four pitchers held Plattsburgh State to just one hit.
Follmer drew a four-pitch walk to start the game, advanced to second on a failed pick-off attempt and then came home on Montalbano's one-out RBI single up the middle to give the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead. Vassar then loaded the bases on no outs in the next half inning before Smach was plunked on a one-strike count to tie the game. Fox then induced a 6-4-3 double play but the Brewers were able to plate a run on the groundout to take a 2-1 lead.
Montalbano ripped a two-out RBI single in the third to equalize and freshman Justin Adams (Valhalla, N.Y./Westlake) scored on a throwing error in the fourth as Plattsburgh State went up, 3-2. Bonfiglio doubled in the next half inning but the Cardinals got two quick outs afterward to strand the runner. Mori reached third in the top of the fifth and Brewers went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the frame for another scoreless inning.
Shanagher singled to start the bottom of the sixth and Smach was hit by a pitch before a wild pitch advanced both runners one base. Sophomore Matt Schwartz was plunked to load the bases and another wild pitch allowed Shanagher to score the tying run. Bonfiglio's RBI single through the left side plated the go-ahead run, Doyle's double scored a run and Hernandez's two-out single capped a five-run frame as Vassar led, 7-3.
The Cardinals had four runners reach scoring position over the next two innings but could not push home a run. Vassar sophomore Bryan Rubin threw a 1-2-3 ninth inning to end the game.
Plattsburgh State and Vassar square off in a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Sunday. Both games are slated for seven innings.