READING, Pa. – The Plattsburgh State baseball team traveled out of state on Monday and defeated Penn State Berks 11-3 as they had 17 hits over nine innings. Nick Cergol (Mount Sinai, N.Y./Mount Sinai), Daniel Novelli (Maracy, Venezuela/Cypress Creek (Fla.)), and Alex Kornblau (Pound Ridge, N.Y./Fox Lane) each had three hits, with Cergol blasting a two-run homer in the eighth.

Cergol also scored three times to go along with his three hits and a two-run shot, while Novelli had a two-run double and scored two runs. Kornblau continued his torrid stretch with another three-hit performance, as he also drove in a run. Conner Gonzalski (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) was on base four times with a double, triple, and two walks, and Ben Catrambone (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna) had two hits and two RBI for Plattsburgh.

Dylan Bass (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) earned his second win of the season with five solid innings of work, allowing just four hits and two earned runs while striking out three batters. Logan Avin (Honolulu, Hawaii/Waterford (Conn.)), Nick Goldberg (Commack, N.Y./Commack), and Matt Edwards (Commack, N.Y./Commack) each registered scoreless appearances out of the bullpen, with Avin going two innings, to follow Bass' strong effort.

Plattsburgh State moves to 6-3 on the year and will next travel to Old Westbury for a three-game series beginning tomorrow, March 19, with a 2 p.m. single, nine-inning game. Penn State Berks falls to 2-11 and next plays at Muhlenberg on Wednesday, March 20.

The Cards wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, putting up a run in the second on a Catrambone sacrifice fly and then two in the third on a Novelli two-run double to go up 3-0 after two-and-a-half innings of play. The Nittany Lions followed with a solo homer in the bottom half of the inning, but Plattsburgh was once again quick to respond, netting their next two runs on sacrifice flies from Kyle Cremin (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Kennedy Catholic) in the fourth and Joey Di Rocco (Congers, N.Y./Clarkstown South) in the fifth.

Leading 5-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth, Penn State Berks got two big hits with two outs to come within two runs, trailing 5-3 after five complete innings.

After a scoreless sixth, with Avin entering for Plattsburgh and working out of a jam, Plattsburgh began to pull away in the seventh. A two-out walk from Cergol started the rally, as he then stole second base, allowing Catrambone to single him home in the next at-bat. Rasquin singled home a run as well in the inning, as Catrambone advanced to third on an error on his RBI single. After Rasquin stole second to move into scoring position, Kornblau followed with an RBI single to put the Cards up 8-3.

In the eighth, Gonzalski led off the frame with a triple, and Justice Suafoa (Kinderhook, N.Y./Ichabod Crane) proceeded to bring the graduate student home, putting the Cards up 9-3. After a Novelli single, Cergol was set up for his two-run homer to put Plattsburgh up 11-3, sealing the Cardinal win on the road.

Kobie Reeser took the loss for Penn State Berks, giving up five runs and nine hits over five innings, while Zach Smith homered, and Reese had an RBI double.