After having had its flight cancelled Wednesday night and driving all the way back to Oneonta just to turn around and try again on Thursday, the SUNY Oneonta baseball team played some baseball yesterday in Florida.  The Red Dragons came away with a split of a pair with Clarkson University, which included a gem by junior Steve Ascher (Cutchogue/Mattituck) in game 1.

Ascher was dominant in his third outing of the season.  Going the distance, he struck out 15 Golden Knights en route to a two-hit, 2-0 shutout.  Ascher struck out at least two hitters in each of the first six innings, as he recorded his second double-digit strikeout performance of the young season.  Ascher is now 2-1 on the season and has recorded 32 strikeouts in 17-2/3 innings.

Game 1 was won in the top of the eighth inning, as the two teams were tied through seven innings.  Sophomore Dylan Stamile (Long Beach, NY/Bowie (Austin, TX)) started the inning with a double down the right field line.  After a strikeout and groundout, which got Stamile to third, junior Jon Halligan (Cornwallville/Cairo Durham) tripled to right center to drive in Stamile.  Halligan then scored on a single up the middle by freshman Casy Kies (Apalachin/Vestal).

In the second game, a six-run first and a seven-run sixth for Clarkson proved to be too much to overcome, as Oneonta lost 13-5.

Junior Matt Mastroianni (Somers/North Salem) led the offense with three hits, while Halligan, Kies and freshman David Wright (Oneonta/Oneonta) each collected a pair of hits.

Oneonta will play a pair against SUNY Canton today in Auburndale.  First pitch scheduled for 3pm.