ONEONTA, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State baseball team yielded the go-ahead run in the eighth inning in a 6-5 loss to SUNY Oneonta in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) play at Damaschke Field on Friday. The Cardinals drop to 7-18 overall and 1-12 in the league, while the Red Dragons move to 13-14 and 4-8. Plattsburgh State is in the beginning of a six-game road swing.
Plattsburgh State junior Noah Clark (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East/Caldwell) went 2-for-3 with a walk, sophomore Patrick Bryant (Center Moriches, N.Y./Center Moriches/Hofstra) singled home a run and was hit by a pitch and senior T.J. Montalbano (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills West/Jefferson CC) drew a bases loaded walk while also scoring a run. Freshman Alex Follmer (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Plattsburgh) was hit by a pitch and scored a run, while classmate Santino Ycaza (Mastic, N.Y./Brentwood Sonderling) walked and scored a run. Freshman Connor Lyons (Brookhaven, N.Y./Bellport) took the loss in relief after allowing one run on five hits in 2.2 innings. Sophomore starter Frank Finkbeiner (Stone Ridge, N.Y./Rondout Valley) surrendered two runs on five hits in the opening 4.1 frames.
Oneonta's 10-hit attack was led by junior Dalton Beatty, who went 4-for-5 with a triple, an RBI and two runs scored. Classmate Donald Geloso walked twice and had a two-run triple and senior Sage Cheren and junior Chris Saitch both had one hit and one RBI. Senior Sean Mullins scored two runs while walking once and being hit by a pitch. Junior Thomas Bond tossed a complete game for the win by allowing five runs – all unearned – on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
The Cardinals jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the second inning. A Red Dragon fielding error, a hit by pitch and a walk loaded the bases for Montalbano, whose walk brought home freshman Justin Adams (Valhalla, N.Y./Westlake). Follmer's sacrifice bunt attempt was thrown away, allowing all three base runners to score. Bryant followed up one at-bat later with a bunt single to score Follmer. Oneonta then got on the board in the third as Geloso's two-out two-run triple cut the margin to 5-2.
The visitors had just one base runner over the next three innings before Oneonta churned out a three-run sixth on just one hit to knot up the score at 5-5. With one out and the bases loaded, Beatty singled up the middle for a run and Saitch's fielder's choice RBI was followed by wild pitch later on that plated the fifth run. Two Cardinals were cut down trying to steal bases in the seventh and the Red Dragons came through with a run in the eighth as Cheren singled to left field to plate Beatty to make the score 6-5.
Plattsburgh State and Oneonta close out the series on Saturday with a noon doubleheader.