The SUNY Oneonta baseball team split their non-conference doubleheader against Eastern Mennonite University on Saturday afternoon in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The Red Dragons took game one 9-3 before dropping the nightcap 15-3. Oneonta is now 1-4 on the year while Eastern Mennonite is 5-5-1.

GAME ONE
The Red Dragons rode a stellar pitching performance by senior Robert Ottaviano (Nanuet/Albertus Magnus) to capture their first win of the season. Ottaviano allowed just four hits while striking out 11 batters in seven innings of work.

The game was scoreless until the top of the third when John Zinko (Wallkill/Wallkill) blasted a two-run home run over the left field fence to put the Red Dragons on the board. James Ceparano (Melville/Half Hollow Hills East) added to the Oneonta lead in the top of the fourth with a two-run double to left, scoring Mike Graves (Bethlehem/Bethlehem Central) and Lazaro Moralez (Virginia Beach, VA/Green Run) to make the score 4-0.

In the top off the fifth, with runners on the corners, the Red Dragons successfully pulled off the double steal. Jonathan Lezette (Saugerties/Saugerties) scampered home while the throw down to second sailed into the outfield, allowing Mickey Mullins (Vestal/Vestal) to advance to third. Lazaro Moralez (Virginia Beach, VA/Green Run) plated Mullins with a sacrifice fly, upping the Red Dragons lead to 6-0.

Oneonta would pad their lead in the top of the seventh on sacrifice fly by Mickey Mullins (Vestal/Vestal), scoring Jonathan Lezette (Saugerties/Saugerties) to make the score 7-0.  The Red Dragons would score two more in the eighth to take a commanding 9-0 advantage.

James Ceparano (Melville/Half Hollow Hills East) led Oneonta with a 3-for-5 performance with two RBI and a run scored. Vincent Prisco (Northport/Saint Dominic), Jonathan Lezette (Saugerties/Saugerties) and Mickey Graves had two hits apiece.

GAME TWO
In the nightcap, the Red Dragons jumped out to an early lead with three runs in the top of the first. Dominic Lamonica (Stony Brook/Ward Melville) drove in the first run of the game with a double to right, scoring James Ceparano (Melville/Half Hollow Hills East). John Zinko (Wallkill/Wallkill) followed with a two-run double to right center, scoring Vincent Prisco (Northport/Saint Dominic) and Dominic Lamonica (Stony Brook/Ward Melville).

Unfortunately that would be the last time the Red Dragons would score as Eastern Mennonite allowed just four hits after the first inning.

The two teams will play the rubber game of the three game series tomorrow at noon.