OSWEGO, N.Y. – Plattsburgh State senior T.J. Montalbano (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills West/Jefferson CC) picked up his 100th career hit on a fifth-inning RBI single as the Cardinals slipped to No. 14 Oswego State, 10-7, in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action at Laker Baseball Field on Tuesday. The Cardinals slide to 4-12 overall and 0-6 in the league, while the Lakers, qualifiers of the last two NCAA Tournaments, improve to 17-6 and 8-1. Oswego State is 14th in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA)/D3baseball.com national poll. Tuesday's game was interrupted after six innings by a three-hour rain delay.
Montalbano ended the day 2-for-5 with two RBIs and one run scored, while freshmen Alex Follmer (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Plattsburgh) and Kentaro Mori (Tokyo, Japan/Joto) both went 2-for-4 with an RBI, with Mori doubling and Follmer scoring two runs and stealing one base. Mori also took the loss in relief by surrendering four runs – three earned – on three hits in two innings. Junior Noah Clark (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East/Caldwell) clubbed a two-run double and stole a base and freshman Stephen Bryant (Center Moriches, N.Y./Center Moriches) singled, walked, scored a run and stole a base. Sophomore Ryan Whalen (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Plattsburgh) started and had a no decision after tossing the first 3.2 frames.
Oswego State senior Kyle Simmons went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and one run scored, while junior Josh Hoagland went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and two runs scored. Junior JT Angora went 2-for-2 with a two-run triple and sophomore Mike Dellicarri was 2-for-4 with an RBI double. Junior John Barnes launched a two-run home run as part of his two-hit outing. Senior John-Michael Guarino earned the win in relief after allowing two runs – one earned – on four hits with four strikeouts in two innings. Senior Charles Arcuri threw a scoreless final frame with two strikeouts for the save.
The Lakers hopped out to a 2-0 lead in the second lead before Montalbano's RBI single to right field in the top of the third cut the margin by one. Oswego State responded the next half inning on RBI doubles by senior Eric Hamilton and Dellicarri to stretch the lead to 4-1. Simmons' two-out RBI base knock put the hosts up 5-1 after four innings.
Plattsburgh State then broke out with a four-run fifth inning to tie the game. Follmer and Montalbano had back-to-back one-out RBI singles and Clark came up later with a two-run double to left field to equalize at 5-5. Clark then swiped third base but was stranded. Oswego State pulled back ahead on Simmons' two-out RBI single in the sixth but Plattsburgh State knotted up the score the next half inning on a Laker error. Two Oswego State runs in the seventh gave the hosts an 8-6 edge and the Cardinals pulled to within one in the eighth after junior Joe Deland (Farmingville, N.Y./Sachem East/Suffolk County CC) stole home.
Barnes' two-out, two-run blast in bottom of the eighth gave Oswego State a 10-7 advantage. Arcuri came in for the ninth and struck out the first and third batters to lock up the win.
Plattsburgh State continues its road swing with a non-conference game at St. Lawrence University on Wednesday at 4 p.m.