The SUNY Oneonta baseball team made the most of its 10 hits today, as they defeated Medaille 10-4 in Lakeland, Fla.  The win for the Red Dragons evens its early season record at 2-2 while the Mustangs fall to 1-3.
 
The hitting stars of today's contest were senior Jon Halligan (Cornwallville/Cairo Durham) and junior Joe Franke (Livingston Manor/Liberty Central), as they each collected three hits.  Halligan had a pair of doubles and two runs batted in while Franke had one double and one RBI.  Senior Mike Cruz (Levittown/Division Avenue) led Oneonta with three runs batted in, as he cleared the bases in the eighth inning.
 
Freshman Nicholas Ponesse (Newburgh/Valley Central) earned his first collegiate win in relief of starter James McCarty (Stony Brook/Chaminade).  Ponesse threw 3 1/3 innings of two-hit ball allowing one earned run and striking out one batter.
 
After Medaille scored a single run in the bottom of the first, Oneonta came right back with a three spot in the top of the second to take the lead.  Back-to-back singles by Franke and Wayne Baker (Port Washington/Paul D. Schreiber) started the inning for Oneonta.  Medaille then botched a sacrifice bunt by LJ Gizzarelli (Newburgh/Newburgh Free Academy), which allowed both runners to score while advancing Gizzarelli to second base.  Gizzarelli was then moved to third base by Cruz before coming in to score on a single by Casy Kies (Apalachin/Vestal).
 
The Red Dragons led 4-2 entering the eighth before exploding for its five runs.  Halligan doubled in the first run before Cruz's triple drove in the next three runs.  Cruz would come in to score the final run of the inning on a wild pitch.
 
Oneonta's final run of the game came in the ninth when Halligan doubled in Matt Mastroianni (Somers/North Salem) from second base.  Mastroianni was hit by a pitch before going to second when pinch-hitter Joshua Quesada (Burnt Hills/Burnt Hills Ballston Lake) was hit by a pitch as well.
 
McCarty pitched 4 1/3 innings of effective baseball for Oneonta in his first collegiate start.  He allowed six hits and two earned runs while recording four strikeouts.
 
Oneonta will have Tuesday off before playing a doubleheader on Wednesday against Curry College in Auburndale, Fla.