After splitting its first six games in Fort Myers, Fla., the Oneonta State baseball team pounded opposing pitching to win three of its final four games to complete a 6-4 season opening trip south. The Red Dragons now return north to begin its SUNYAC schedule Saturday at Fredonia for a scheduled doubleheader.
The only loss during the final four games came against Bethel University in the first of a doubleheader, which they played this past Wednesday. The Red Dragons collected 12 hits in the 11-8 loss and collected 12 more hits in a 13-6 win in game two to earn the split. Four players had two hits each in game one while five players had two hits in game two for Oneonta. Senior
Kevin Knack (Ghent/Ichabod Crane) was one of the players to have two hits in both games including a pair of doubles and his first home run of the season. Knack drove in three runs in game two while junior
Chris Massaroni (Voorheesville/Voorheesville) drove in three runs in game one.
Junior
Thomas Hand (Wallkill/Valley Central) threw 3 innings in relief to earn the win in game two while
Zachary Levanduski (Elmira Heights/Thomas Edison) recorded the final out to earn his first save of the season. Levanduski also had a pair of hits in the game as the starting first baseman.
In its ninth game of the trip, Oneonta avenged its season opening loss to Western Connecticut State in a big way with a 25-18 slug fest. The Red Dragons pounded out 25 hits including five for extra bases in the game. Knack and classmate
Cody Hitt (Boonville/Adirondack) each had four hits while driving in three runs apiece.
Dean Haussel (Sound Beach/Miller Place),
Tory Bouyea (Plattsburgh/Plattsburgh),
Eric Wells (Athens, PA/Athens) and
Ivan Plata (Guilderland/Guilderland) each collected three hits. Plata drove in a team high five runs while Haussel went deep for his first home run of the season.
Junior
Nate Jones (Apalachin/Seton Catholic), who was the third pitcher of the game for Oneonta, picked up the win after 4-2/3 innings of relief allowing only five hits and two earned runs.
In the final game of the trip, Oneonta defeated Lawrence University 13-6. Oneonta had six players with two hits each as they totaled 14 hits overall in the victory. Freshman
Matt Mastroianni (Somers/North Salem) had a double and three runs batted in. Levanduski hit his first home run of the season, a solo shot in the second inning to give Oneonta a 1-0 lead.
Hitt pitched the final four innings allowing only one earned run to pick up the win for the Red Dragons.
Knack finished the trip hitting .448 to lead the team. He also drove in 11 runs and collected 24 total bases for an .828 slugging percentage. Bouyea and Haussel both collected 16 hits to go with 11 runs scored apiece. Bouyea led the Red Dragons with 15 runs batted in.
As a pitching staff, Oneonta travels North with a 6.75 earned run average. They recorded 47 strikeouts while walking only 24 batters as a staff in 76 innings.
