GOWANDA, N.Y – The Plattsburgh State baseball team completed the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNAYC) sweep over Fredonia on Sunday afternoon in dominating fashion, winning 16-2 in seven innings. Andrew Veit (Yaphank, N.Y./Bellport) threw six excellent innings striking out eight, while Daniel Novelli (Maracy, Venezuela/Cypress Creek (Fla.)) drove in four runs to lead the offense.
Veit tossed six innings, giving up just two earned runs, and striking out eight batters to earn his third win of the season. Novelli had three singles to drive in four runs, while Aidan Diltz (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) had a double and single to drive in two runs. Alex Kornblau (Pound Ridge, N.Y./Fox Lane) and Austin Caldwell (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) each had two-run homers, as Kornblau's blast gave him 10 for his career, tying him with Dave Waldron and Toddy Hughes for second all-time in program history, trailing the program record of 11 by Pat Shaughnessy. Caldwell's homer was the first of his career, as he helped the Cards pull away for the run-rule win.
Plattsburgh State moves to 16-7 (5-4 SUNYAC) as the team has surpassed their win total from last season with at least 15 games left to play on the schedule. The Cards next take on Middlebury at Chip Cummings Field on Tuesday, March 16 at 3 p.m. Fredonia falls to 9-15 (3-9 SUNYAC) and will play Penn State Behrend on Tuesday, March 16.
Plattsburgh State wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, putting up three runs in the first inning despite one hit. A leadoff walk, followed by an error and HBP loaded the bases with no outs to start the game. Nick Cergol (Mount Sinai, N.Y./Mount Sinai) drove in the first run of the game in the next at-bat, grounding out to second to score Mike Rasquin (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City). After another groundout, Novelli laced a clutch two-out single bringing home two runs to give the Cards an early 3-0 lead.
Two more runs were added to the tally in the second for Plattsburgh, as Kornblau crushed his fourth home run of the season to match his career high and bring him within one of the program record. Another run came home for the Cards in the third, as Diltz doubled and then was brought home by a Novelli single, giving the Cards a 6-1 lead through three innings.
Plattsburgh continued to add to the lead, as three runs came around to score in the fourth, with Diltz singling home two runs and Novelli bringing home a run with a groundout.
After Fredonia added a run in the fourth to bring the score to 9-2, each team went scoreless in the fifth inning. In the sixth, however, Plattsburgh put themselves on the cusp of a run-rule win, striking for three runs. Cergol walked with one out and after a flyout, advanced all the way to third on two wild pitches. Novelli promptly singled the senior home and then came around to score on Caldwell's first collegiate homer in the next at-bat.
Veit gave the Cards another scoreless inning in the sixth to give the team a chance to add on and complete the run-rule in the top of the seventh and Plattsburgh did just that. The team got some subs in and they responded, as Frankie Kowal (Shrub Oak, N.Y./Lakeland) and Michael Piccirillo (Glen Cove, N.Y./Glen Cove) each lace two-run doubles. The hit was Kowal's fourth double of the season as he is 10-18 (.556 AVG) in limited action with the double for Piccirillo being his first collegiate hit.
Nick Goldberg (Commack, N.Y./Commack) pitched the bottom of the seventh working a scoreless frame and striking out on a batter to give Plattsburgh the run-rule win.
Michael Byrns took the loss for Fredonia, lasting just 2.1 innings and giving up six runs, while Alex Gannon had two hits, with one being a double and an RBI.
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