Box Score
The SUNY Oneonta baseball team rallied in the 7th and 8th innings to overcome an 8-3 deficit today en route to an 11-8 victory against Southern Vermont College. The Red Dragons scored five runs in the 7th and three more in the 8th to win its 22nd game of the year. Junior #Anthony Bates (Utica/Proctor)# pitched the final two innings striking out three to earn his second win of the season.
The five-run 7th for Oneonta (22-8) started when senior #Carmine Caputo (Mahopac/Mahopac)# drew a one-out walk, which was followed by a sharp single to left field by sophomore #Kevin Knack (Ghent /Ichabod Crane)#. A bloop single to left field by senior #Dan Randall (Salem/Salem)# loaded the bases for the Red Dragons.
An error by the Mountaineers' shortstop allowed Caputo to score and kept the bases loaded for Oneonta. Senior #Scott Dubben (Roseboom/Cherry Valley Springfield)# then dropped a single into center field that scored both Knack and Randall.
The final two runs of the inning came on RBI singles by senior #Steve Gauck (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa)# and sophomore #Cody Hitt (Boonville/Adirondack)#, who was pinch hitting.
In the Oneonta 8th inning Knack doubled to right field with one out to start things off. Southern Vermont (10-15) then walked Randall intentionally to put two men on. Both Knack and Randall advanced a base on a wild pitch before Knack scored on an RBI single from sophomore #Mike Center#. An RBI single by Dubben and a ground out that scored Center accounted for the final runs of the inning.
Southern Vermont carried a 5-3 lead into the top of the 7th inning before scoring three runs in the inning to increase its advantage to 8-3. Junior Dave Gage (Gloversville/Broadalbin-Perth) led off the inning with a single and came around to score on a double to left field by senior Brett Pawlak (Ansonia, CT/Ansonia). Pawlak scored the second run of the inning on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Eric Wells (Athens, PA/Athens). Freshman Mike Ginter (Hamden, CT/Hamden) knocked in the third run with a single to right field that scored sophomore Pat Warrington (Folcroft, PA/Monsignor Bonner), who had reached on an error.
Knack finished the game with three hits while both Dubben and Gauck drove in three runs to lead the Oneonta offense.
Wells was the offensive star for the Mountaineers finishing with a pair of hits and three runs batted in.
Oneonta will be in action again this Saturday at New Paltz for a key SUNYAC doubleheader beginning at noon.
