A Quick Look
The SUNY Oneonta baseball team split their SUNYAC doubleheader against SUNY Plattsburgh Sunday afternoon at Chip Cummings Field. The Red Dragons took the first game 9-2 on a complete game effort from sophomore pitcher Sean Liquori (Thiells/North Rockland), before dropping the nightcap 11-7.
 
The Inside Story
Game one was scoreless until Oneonta scored seven runs in the top of the fourth inning. With the bases loaded, Patrick McGee (Mahopac/Mahopac) was plunked by a pitch, allowing Sean Liquori (Thiells/North Rockland) to score the first run of the game. Liam Kaseta (Somers/Somers) followed with a three-run double into right field to make the score 4-0. After a Michael Sabatine (Fairport/Fairport) single put runners on the corners, Sean McGlynn (New Hartford/New Hartford) hit a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Kaseta to make it 5-0. In his second at bat of the inning, pitcher Sean Liquori (Thiells/North Rockland) continued to help his own cause with an RBI single center to score Sabatine with Oneonta's sixth run of the inning. Jake Barrett (Smithtown/St. Anthony's) capped off the inning when he drove in James Ceparano (Melville/Half Hollow Hills East) with an RBI single.
 
The Cardinals scored both their runs in the bottom of the fourth before Oneonta added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Sean Liquori (Thiells/North Rockland) drove in his second run of the day with a double to left center before Matthew McAllister (Vestal/Vestal) plated Liquori with a single up the middle.
 
In addition to going 3-for-5 at the plate, Sean Liquori (Thiells/North Rockland) improved his record to 3-0 on the year after going the distance, allowing two runs on nine hits while striking out eight Cardinals. Michael Sabatine (Fairport/Fairport) and Jake Barrett (Smithtown/St. Anthony's) chipped in with two hits apiece.
 
In the nightcap, Plattsburgh jumped out to an early lead with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Cardinals broke the game open with nine runs in the bottom of the third to take what looked to be a commanding 11-0 lead. Matthew McAllister (Vestal/Vestal) put Oneonta on the board in the top of the sixth with an RBI double into left centerfield.
 
The Red Dragons made things interesting when the scored six runs in the top of the seventh. With the bases loaded, James Zupo (Massapequa/Massapequa) drove in pinch hitter Skyler Daniello (Cortlandt Manor/Walter Panas) with a single to left. After Sean Liquori (Thiells/North Rockland) earned a walk with the bases loaded to score pinch hitter Kevin Walters (Staten Island/Susan E. Wagner), Jake Barrett (Smithtown/St. Anthony's) cleared the bases with a grand slam over the left field fence to cut the deficit to 11-7. A walk by Patrick McGee (Mahopac/Mahopac) would be the last baserunner the Red Dragons would get as Plattsburgh held on for the split.
 
Logan Carriero (Somers/Somers) suffered the loss despite allowing just one earned run. Michael Losak (Merrick/Sanford H. Calhoun) tossed three and a third innings of scoreless relief while striking out six for Oneonta. James Ceparano (Melville/Half Hollow Hills East) and Patrick McGee (Mahopac/Mahopac) had two hits apiece.
 
What's Next
The Red Dragons return to action on Friday, April 23rd when they host Ultica in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 1:00 PM.