PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. - The Plattsburgh State baseball team concluded its 2023 season on Senior Day with a doubleheader sweep over Fredonia in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action. Plattsburgh dominated the Fredonia batters on the mound, holding them scoreless on the day in 16 innings of work, also earning the series sweep with the two wins.
The Cardinals also honored six seniors for their commitment and contributions to the program, as the group was honored in between games: Conner Gonzalski (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse), Daniel Grant (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle), Ryan Nista (East Greenbush, N.Y./Columbia), Christian Ott (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston), Mike Rasquin (Garden City, N.Y/Garden City), and Andrew Veit (Yaphank, N..Y./Bellport).
Chris Santic (Stony Point, N.Y./North Rockland) finished one of the best pitching campaigns in program history with eight shutout innings on Saturday, allowing just six hits and one walk, while striking out a career-high eight batters. Nista finished the game behind Santic in game one and earned his first career save with an inning of work. In game two, Veit tossed 6.1 scoreless innings to complete his college career, allowing just two hits and striking out four batters, earning the win, with Nista finishing the game by working 2/3 of an inning. Offensively, Jack Defayette (Rotterdam, N.Y./Schalmont) led the way with multi-hit outings in both games, grabbing four total hits on the day.
Alex Kornblau (Pound Ridge, N.Y./Fox Lane) set the single-season program record for hit-by-pitches, as he was hit twice in game two to up his season total to 15, besting the previous record of Billy Rombauts who was hit 13 times in 2015. Nick Cergol (Mount Sinai, N.Y./Mount Sinai) tied the single-game program record for hit-by-pitches, as he was hit three times in game two on Saturday.
Plattsburgh finishes their season at 15-20 and 7-11 in conference play, missing out on the playoffs and finishing in fifth place. The Fredonia Blue Devils concluded 2023 with a 6-28 record and a 1-17 conference mark.
Game One: Plattsburgh 3, Fredonia 0
Behind Santic's fifth win of 2023, Plattsburgh took the series against Fredonia to start the day, as they held the Blue Devils to six hits and no runs. Santic lowered his season ERA to 2.48 and currently leads the SUNYAC in innings pitched with 65.1 innings of work as results are still incoming across the SUNYAC.
Despite just three runs, Plattsburgh recorded 11 hits on the day, leaving nine on base over eight innings at the plate. Kyle Cremin (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Kennedy Catholic) was 2-3 with a run scored, a walk, and an RBI double that ended up being the game-winning hit for the Cards. Defayette had a two-hit day, as well as Kornblau, Veit, and backstop Adam Wein (North Rockland, N.Y./Don Bosco Prep). The team had five doubles in the game as well, with Cremin, Gonzalski, Defayette, Veit, and Wein all registering extra-base hits.
Through the first four and a half innings of play, the game was scoreless as Santic and Morgan Zientara were engaged in a pitcher's duel. Plattsburgh finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth, as Wein led off the frame with an RBI double. After getting moved to third on a sacrifice from Kornblau, Zientara struck out the next batter, but Cremin and Gonzalski then followed with RBI doubles, putting the Cards up 2-0 after five.
Santic continued to shove for Plattsburgh, working out of some jams in the later innings. In the bottom of the eighth, the team picked up a nice insurance run, with Defayette scoring on an error. That set up the top of the ninth for Nista, who worked around a walk to clinch the win for the Cards, as well as his first career save.
Zientara was tagged with the loss for Fredonia, while Jake Wentland had two hits for the Blue Devils.