ONEONTA, N.Y. - The Oneonta baseball team swept Plattsburgh in Saturday's SUNYAC doubleheader to take the series 3-0. The Red Dragons took the first game 8-7 on a walk-off in the bottom of the ninth and then won the second 14-9 in a shortened rain game. Oneonta moves to 10-5 overall and 3-0 in the SUNYAC, while Plattsburgh falls to 5-8 and 0-3 in the conference.
After Oneonta went down two quick outs in the bottom of the first, senior Anthony Foglia (Somers, NY/North Salem) reached first on a bunt. Freshman Ryan Cronin (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) walked to put runners on first and second before Foglia took third base on a wild pitch. He scored on a third-baseman error to take a 1-0 lead.
The Red Dragons built up to a 4-0 lead in the second inning, with junior Nick Jacoby (Yorktown Heights, NY/Yorktown) hitting an RBI single to bring senior Alex Wurster (Central Square, NY/Paul V. Moore) home. Foglia doubled to add runs from Jacoby and freshman Joseph Monserrat (Delmar, N.Y./Bethlehem Central).
The Cardinal got on the board in the third when TJ Beninati doubled home Zach Rainville to cut the lead to 4-1. Another double from Joey Di Rocco brought in a run from Austin Caldwell in the fourth inning. In the bottom of the frame, Wurster scored on a wild pitch to extend Oneonta's lead to 5-2.
Plattsburgh cut the lead to one run in the fifth, but Oneonta scored on a Foglia sacrifice fly in the sixth to go up 6-4.
The Cardinals took their first lead in the eighth. Rainville singled in a run, and Beninati hit a two-RBI single to make it 7-6. The Red Dragons tied soon after, with Jacoby hitting a triple to add a run from Wurster.
It came down to the bottom of the ninth. Freshman Ryan Cronin (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) led off with a single to third, and senior Joey Dwyer (Shoreham, NY/Shoreham Wading River) bunted to advance Cronin to second. Senior Logan Hutter (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown West/Smithtown) advanced the runners on a sacrifice bunt, and junior Brendan Duffy (Southold, NY/Southold Jr./Sr.) hit a walk-off RBI double to take the win.
Jacoby went 3-for-4 with one run and two RBI, while Foglia had two hits, three RBI, and one run. Wurster added three runs.
Beninati went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run. Caldwell added three hits, and Rainville tallied two.
Senior James Torres (North Salem, NY/North Salem) pitched 4.0 innings with one strikeout, six hits, and four runs. Sophomore Jake Quigley (Harrison, NY/Harrison) (2-0) went 1.1 innings with one strikeout, two hits, and one run.
Game two was called in the fifth inning due to heavy rain and wind. Oneonta jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the bottom of the first. The rain picked up in the top of the second, and the Cardinals capitalized by loading the bases. Frankie Kowal hit a two-RBI single to tie 7-7. Plattsburgh scored on two wild pitches to take a 9-7 lead.
After a short rain delay, the teams resumed action in the bottom of the second. Duffy hit a two-run home run to push Oneonta up 10-9.
The Red Dragons added three more runs in the third, with Cronin hitting a two-RBI triple to right-center field. Oneonta brought one more run in the fourth before the game was called after the top of the fifth.
Jacoby went 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs. Cronin added two RBI and two runs, while Duffy finished with two hits, three runs, and three RBI.
Oneonta next travels to face SUNY Poly on Tue. Mar. 25 at 4 p.m.
