A Quick Look
The SUNY Oneonta baseball team was eliminated by Nationally Ranked SUNY Oswego in their best out of three SUNYAC Semifinal Series on Saturday afternoon by scores of 8-2 and 11-4. Oneonta's season comes to end with a record of 11-13.
 
The Inside Story
In game one, Oneonta jumped out to an early lead with two runs in the top of the first. With runners on the corners, Liam Kaseta (Somers/Somers) singled down the left field line, scoring James Ceparano (Melville/Half Hollow Hills East) with the first run of the ballgame. Matthew McAllister (Vestal/Vestal) capped off the inning with a bases loaded single, scoring Jake Barrett (Smithtown/St. Anthony's) to make it 2-0.
 
The Red Dragons held Oswego's bats in check until the bottom of the seventh when the Lakers scored four runs on just two hits. With a pair of runners in scoring position, Hunter Holliday tied the game with a double to center field. After Holliday advanced to third on the throw to the plate, he gave the Lakers the lead when he scampered home on a passed ball. The Lakers added an unearned run to take a 4-2 lead. Oswego broke the game open when they scored four more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
 
Liam Kaseta (Somers/Somers) led Oneonta with a team-best three hits while driving in one run. Michael Losak (Merrick/Sanford H. Calhoun) suffered the loss after allowing six earned runs while striking out nine Lakers in seven and two-thirds innings of work.
 
In game two, the game was scoreless until Oswego got on the board in the bottom of the fourth on a Brendon Frank solo home run. Oneonta responded with two runs in the top of the fifth to take a 2-1 advantage.  Senior Skyler Daniello (Cortlandt Manor/Walter Panas) led off the inning with a hit by pitch, later making his way to third on a wild pitch and a fly out. Sean McGlynn (New Hartford/New Hartford) tied the game when he drove home Daniello with a single to left center. After a James Ceparano (Melville/Half Hollow Hills East) bunt single put runners on first and second, Jake Barrett (Smithtown/St. Anthony's) gave Oneonta the lead with a single to left. Oneonta's excitement was short lived as Oswego scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth on five hits to take a 7-2 lead. The Lakers added to their lead with a run in the sixth and seventh to go in front 9-2. Oneonta would get two runs back in the top of the eighth. Jake Barrett (Smithtown/St. Anthony's) led off the inning with a solo home run. After three straight singles loaded the bases, Skyler Daniello (Cortlandt Manor/Walter Panas) hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Liam Kaseta (Somers/Somers) from third. That would be as close as the Red Dragons would get as Oswego tallied two more runs in the bottom of the eighth to make the final 11-4.