PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State baseball team stayed scorching hot on Wednesday, defeating Old Westbury in both ends of doubleheader action, 7-1 and 18-3. The two wins make Plattsburgh winners of eight of their last nine games as they now head into conference play.
Joey Di Rocco (Congers, N.Y./Clarkstown South) had three hits and three RBI across two games, including a solo homer in the game-one win. Kyle Cremin (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Kennedy Catholic) and Austin Caldwell (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) each drove in four runs in the game-two win, while Nick Cergol (Mount Sinai, N.Y./Mount Sinai) had three runs batted in over two starts. Eric Agan (Burnt Hills, N.Y./Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) earned the win in game one with three scoreless innings, while Bostyn Duquette (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Plattsburgh) followed with three scoreless innings as well. Jack Castillo (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) earned the win as well, working 3.1 innings in his first career outing, giving up just one earned run.
Plattsburgh State moves to 9-3 on the season and now opens State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYC) play tomorrow, Thursday, March 21 at 3 p.m. at SUNY New Paltz. Old Westbury falls to 5-8 on the season and will play Baruch College on Saturday, March 23 in a non-conference doubleheader.
Game One: Plattsburgh 7, Old Westbury 1
The Cards used excellent pitching and timely hitting in the game on victory on Wednesday morning, as they took down the Panthers 7-1 in game one of the midweek twin-bill. Agan and Duquette were fantastic in three innings of work each, putting little pressure on the Cardinal offense. Agan struck out three and allowed just two hits to earn his first career win, while Duquette followed by allowing just one hit and striking out one in his first career outing as a Cardinal.
Di Rocco led the offensive effort for Plattsburgh with the lone multi-hit game on either side, as he drove in two runs and hit his second homer of the season. Cergol drove in two runs, going 1-2 with a walk, while Ben Catrambone (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna) reached base twice to score two runs, doubling, walking, and stealing a base.
The Cards were able to get a run across in the second inning to start the scoring, as Aidan Diltz (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) came around to score on an error. In the following inning, Cergol singled home Catrambone, and Di Rocco followed with an RBI single to go up 3-0 after two-and-a-half innings.
As Agan continued to get outs on the mound, Plattsburgh continued to add more runs, as they added a run in the fourth on an RBI groundout from Kornblua with two men on base. Duquette entered the game in the bottom half of the inning, allowing the Cards to bat in the fifth with a 4-0 lead.
Di Rocco led off the fifth with a lined shot that got over the leftfield wall for his second homer of the year. On the season, and after the conclusion of the second game, Di Rocco is now batting .500 (11-22) with a 1.541 OPS and 10 RBI.
Plattsburgh added their final two runs of the game with back-to-back walks to start the frame both coming around to score, first on a fielding error and then on a sacrifice fly from Cergol.
In the seventh, Old Westbury finally got a run across on an RBI single, but Matt Edwards (Commack, N.Y./Commack) was able to quell the rally, finishing the game for the Cards and getting the guys the game-one win.
For the Panthers, James Sill took the loss on the mound with three innings of work, also driving in the team's lone run in the seventh.
Game One: Plattsburgh 18, Old Westbury 5
The Cardinals exploded for 18 runs in game two, highlighted by a 10-run fourth inning, as they swept the three-game series against Old Westbury. Castillo earned the win on the mound, striking out four batters and giving up just one earned run in 3.1 innings of work. Justin Sargent (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna) was the first reliever out for the Cards, tossing 1.2 innings of scoreless baseball.
Six extra-base hits helped the Cards take advantage of plenty of traffic on the bases as they scored 18 runs in just seven innings. Cremin drove in four with a three-run double that put the Cards out in front and later walked to bring in another run. Caldwell, batting in Cremin's spot, also drove in four runs, as he had a two-run single and a two-run double, all collegiate firsts for the first-year student. Frankie Kowal (Shrub Oak, N.Y./Lakeland) and Jack Defayette (Rotterdam, N.Y./Schalmont) each had two hits, with Kowal doubling and driving in a run, while Defayette also had an RBI and scored three runs.
Old Westbury looked to be in a prime spot to win after scoring three runs in the first two innings, leading 3-0 heading into the top of the third. The Cardinal offense, however, awoke in the third, scoring five runs to take a lead they would not surrender. Kowal led the inning off with a double and after a walk from Defayette, Mike Rasquin (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) singled home Kowal to get the Cards on the board. After a Di Rocco HBP, a pitching change was made, and Cremin greeted the new Panther arm with a double to right, clearing the bases. Cremin came around to score later in the frame on an error, putting Plattsburgh up 5-3.
After a scoreless third from Castillo, Plattsburgh scored 10 runs in the fourth on six hits to bury the Panthers. Justice Suafoa (Kinderhook, N.Y./Ichabod Crane) drove in two runs with a double to left after back-to-back RBI walks and Ian Warren (Esopus, N.Y./Highland) singled home a run directly after to put the Cards up 10-3 and force a pitching change. Later in the frame, Kowal and Defyaete had back-to-back RBI singles, which was followed by a Rasquin sacrifice fly. The final runs of the inning came home on Caldwell's two-run single, putting Plattsburgh up 15-3 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
After Sargent entered and worked out of a jam in the fourth, the fifth inning was scoreless for both sides. The Cardinals added their final three runs of the game was Di Rocco doubled home a run and Caldwell tacked on two more runs with a two-run double.
In the seventh, the Panthers scored two runs with two outs, but Ty Nelson (Rosedale, N.Y./Springfield Gardens) stopped the bleeding, with Luciano Fiorello (Cornwall, N.Y./Cornwall) throwing out a runner at home to end the game and give the Cards an 18-5 win.
Joseph Lubrano took the loss on the mound for Old Westbury, while Troy Emmanuel reached base four times for the Panthers and scored twice.