PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. - The Plattsburgh State baseball team walked off against St. Lawrence on Wednesday evening, as Joey Di Rocco (Congers, N.Y./Clarkstown South) drove in the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth. The Cardinals, who led 6-0 after two innings, fended off two Saints comebacks to earn the 9-8 win in non-conference play.
Di Rocco finished 2-4 with an RBI, a run scored, and a double along with his walk-off sac fly, as Nick Cergol (Mount Sinai, N.Y./Mount Sinai) and Alex Kornblau (Pound Ridge, N.Y./Fox Lane) each finished the day 3-5. Cergol recorded two runs and an RBI, while Kornblau had four runs scored, an RBI, and a double. Matt Blair (Elma, N.Y./Iroquois) reached base four times, as he narrowly missed the program record with four walks, while also stealing two bases. Logan Avin (Honolulu, Hawaii/Waterford (Conn.)) earned the win on the mound with 1.2 innings of work giving up no earned runs and striking out three batters and Justin Osborn (Latham, N.Y./Shaker) was solid in the middle relief, going 2.2 innings, allowing just one hit and one run.
The Cardinals move to 10-14 with the win and now prepare for a three-game series at Oswego State, with game one being on Friday, April 21 at 3 p.m. St. Lawrence falls to 8-14 on the year and hosts Liberty League powerhouse Rochester over the weekend for a three-game series. The teams will rematch at St. Lawrence on April 25, when the Cards head to Canton, N.Y.
Plattsburgh looked to be on their way to an easy win early as starter Ryan Nista (East Greenbush, N.Y./Columbia) cruised through the first two frames and the Cardinal offense spotted him six runs. Kyle Cremin (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Kennedy Catholic) drove in the first run of the game with a groundout to first base and Christian Ott (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston) followed with an RBI groundout a batter later to give the Cards a 2-0 after the first inning of play. Four more runs came to score in the second inning, as Cergol and Kornblau each singled runs home, an error brought home a run, and a wild pitch brought home one more to make it 6-0 heading into the third inning.
In the top of the third, the Saints offense awoke, collecting six hits and three runs, as they were likely to add more had catcher Adam Wein (North Rockland, N.Y./Don Bosco Prep) not cut down a runner trying to steal third base. The Cardinals were able to get a run back in the bottom of the fourth off the bat of Conner Gonzalski (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse), who doubled down the left field line to bring home Kornblau, putting Plattsburgh up 7-3.
The score remained locked at 7-3 as Osborn shut down the Saint's order over the middle innings. After a walk, a wild pitch, and a hit-by-pitch in the seventh, the Saints cut into the deficit with another run, as Timothy Connor hit a sacrifice fly to center to bring home a run. St. Lawrence plated three more in the eighth to tie the game, as Tynan Creagh capped the rally with an RBI single to right-center to knot the score at seven runs apiece.
Plattsburgh responded immediately in the bottom of the eighth to retake the lead as Kornblau singled to center to lead off the frame and eventually found his way to third base after a sac bunt and wild pitch. Gonzalski then brought home the junior infielder with a sac fly to left, putting the Cards up 8-7. With the one-run lead, Avin was on the bump to nail down another late-game situation but after striking out the leadoff batter, an error and passed ball moved Jackson Brinker to third with just one out. Caleb Clark followed with a grounder to second and even with the infield in, Brinker was able to score to tie the game in the ninth.
In the bottom of the ninth, Ben Catrambone (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna) led off the frame and reached base after an error by the shortstop, allowing him to advance to second. Wein batted next and looked to move the runner over with a bunt, but instead earned a base hit with a perfectly placed bunt to put runners on the corners. After Wein stole second to take away the force, Blair was intentionally walked to load the bases for Di Rocco, who flew to center, easily scoring Catrambone to win the game for the Cards.
Jackson Polumbo earned the loss on the mound, going 1.1 innings while giving up two runs. Creagh and Connor each had two hits and an RBI for the Saints in the loss.
Di Rocco finished 2-4 with an RBI, a run scored, and a double along with his walk-off sac fly, as Nick Cergol (Mount Sinai, N.Y./Mount Sinai) and Alex Kornblau (Pound Ridge, N.Y./Fox Lane) each finished the day 3-5. Cergol recorded two runs and an RBI, while Kornblau had four runs scored, an RBI, and a double. Matt Blair (Elma, N.Y./Iroquois) reached base four times, as he narrowly missed the program record with four walks, while also stealing two bases. Logan Avin (Honolulu, Hawaii/Waterford (Conn.)) earned the win on the mound with 1.2 innings of work giving up no earned runs and striking out three batters and Justin Osborn (Latham, N.Y./Shaker) was solid in the middle relief, going 2.2 innings, allowing just one hit and one run.
The Cardinals move to 10-14 with the win and now prepare for a three-game series at Oswego State, with game one being on Friday, April 21 at 3 p.m. St. Lawrence falls to 8-14 on the year and hosts Liberty League powerhouse Rochester over the weekend for a three-game series. The teams will rematch at St. Lawrence on April 25, when the Cards head to Canton, N.Y.
Plattsburgh looked to be on their way to an easy win early as starter Ryan Nista (East Greenbush, N.Y./Columbia) cruised through the first two frames and the Cardinal offense spotted him six runs. Kyle Cremin (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Kennedy Catholic) drove in the first run of the game with a groundout to first base and Christian Ott (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston) followed with an RBI groundout a batter later to give the Cards a 2-0 after the first inning of play. Four more runs came to score in the second inning, as Cergol and Kornblau each singled runs home, an error brought home a run, and a wild pitch brought home one more to make it 6-0 heading into the third inning.
In the top of the third, the Saints offense awoke, collecting six hits and three runs, as they were likely to add more had catcher Adam Wein (North Rockland, N.Y./Don Bosco Prep) not cut down a runner trying to steal third base. The Cardinals were able to get a run back in the bottom of the fourth off the bat of Conner Gonzalski (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse), who doubled down the left field line to bring home Kornblau, putting Plattsburgh up 7-3.
The score remained locked at 7-3 as Osborn shut down the Saint's order over the middle innings. After a walk, a wild pitch, and a hit-by-pitch in the seventh, the Saints cut into the deficit with another run, as Timothy Connor hit a sacrifice fly to center to bring home a run. St. Lawrence plated three more in the eighth to tie the game, as Tynan Creagh capped the rally with an RBI single to right-center to knot the score at seven runs apiece.
Plattsburgh responded immediately in the bottom of the eighth to retake the lead as Kornblau singled to center to lead off the frame and eventually found his way to third base after a sac bunt and wild pitch. Gonzalski then brought home the junior infielder with a sac fly to left, putting the Cards up 8-7. With the one-run lead, Avin was on the bump to nail down another late-game situation but after striking out the leadoff batter, an error and passed ball moved Jackson Brinker to third with just one out. Caleb Clark followed with a grounder to second and even with the infield in, Brinker was able to score to tie the game in the ninth.
In the bottom of the ninth, Ben Catrambone (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna) led off the frame and reached base after an error by the shortstop, allowing him to advance to second. Wein batted next and looked to move the runner over with a bunt, but instead earned a base hit with a perfectly placed bunt to put runners on the corners. After Wein stole second to take away the force, Blair was intentionally walked to load the bases for Di Rocco, who flew to center, easily scoring Catrambone to win the game for the Cards.
Jackson Polumbo earned the loss on the mound, going 1.1 innings while giving up two runs. Creagh and Connor each had two hits and an RBI for the Saints in the loss.
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