The SUNY Oneonta baseball team finally had the opportunity to face an opponent today, as they opened their season in Florida against Saint Vincent.  Despite outhitting their opponents, the Red Dragons came up on the short end of a 10-9 score.  Saint Vincent pushed across the winning run with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning on a one-out double.
 
Three players had multi-hit games for the Red Dragons, led by sophomore Sean Mullins (Vestal/Vestal) who had three hits.  Junior LJ Gizzarelli (Newburgh/Newburgh Free Academy) and sophomore Casy Kies (Apalachin/Vestal) each had a pair of hits.  Gizzarelli and senior Mike Cruz (Levittown/Division Avenue) each drove in a pair of runs in the contest.
 
The Red Dragons didn't wait to score the first run of the 2015 season, as they plated a single run in the top of the first to take an early lead.  Kies led off the game with a single to centerfield, went to second on a ground out before stealing his first base of the year.  He scored on a sacrifice fly to centerfield by senior Matt Mastroianni (Somers/North Salem).
 
Oneonta scored a single run in the second inning on a perfectly executed double steal.  Junior Dylan Stamile (Long Beach, NY/Bowie (Austin, TX)) reached on an error, which allowed him to get to second base to start the inning.  After back-to-back outs, Stamile stole third base before stealing home.
 
Saint Vincent finally got on the scoreboard with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second and third innings to take a 4-2 lead.  A pair of sacrifice flies plated the two runs in the second while a ground out and another sacrifice fly scored the two runs in the third.
 
A triple to right centerfield by by junior Jack Burns (Endicott/Union Endicott ) drove in Kies from first base for Oneonta's lone run in the fifth inning.  Kies was hit by a pitch with one out.
 
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Saint Vincent put a four-spot on the board powered by a couple of doubles and a triple.
 
A Gizzarelli triple in the top of the sixth drove in Mullins to pull Oneonta to within 8-4 entering the bottom half of the inning.  Saint Vincent got the run back in the bottom of the inning with a solo shot over the fence in left centerfield.
 
The Red Dragons exploded for five runs in the top of the seventh inning to knot the score at 9-9.  Oneonta scored all of its runs with two outs. Cruz had the big hit in the inning, a double to left field that drove in both Gizzarelli and Mullins with the tying runs.
 
In his first start of the season senior Kyle Jordan (Levittown/Division) was touched up for 10 hits and seven earned runs.  Freshman Chris Didomizio pitched a scoreless seventh inning in his collegiate debut.  Junior John Sica (Albany/Bishop Maginn) took the loss for Oneonta, pitching a scoreless eighth before allowing the winning run in the ninth.
 
Oneonta will play a pair tomorrow in Winter Haven, Fla. against SUNY Canton beginning at 1pm.
 
Oneonta: Kyle Jordan (Levittown/Division), RJ Lyman (Mohegan Lake/Walter Panas) (5), Chris Didomizio (7), John Sica (Albany/Bishop Maginn) (8) and Sean Mullins (Vestal/Vestal)
Saint Vincent: Pietrantoni, Spisak (7), Proctor (7) and Hoffer
 
WP: Proctor (1-0), LP: Sica (0-1), Save: none