ONEONTA, N.Y. – The Oneonta baseball team took on Alfred State on Thursday afternoon in what turned out to be a down-to-the-wire finish as the Red Dragons defeated Alfred State 5-4. Oneonta improves to 10-8, while Alfred State falls to 7-16.
Sophomore Matt Neglia (Smithtown, NY/Hauppauge) took the mound to begin the game for Oneonta, leading to a 1-2-3 first inning that included a flyout and two strikeouts. Alfred State pitcher Nathan Lucks responded with a 1-2-3 inning himself in the bottom of the first inning, generating three straight groundouts.
The scoring opened up in the bottom of the second inning when freshman Alex Halwick (Selkirk, NY/Ravena Coeymans Selkirk) recorded an RBI-single to right center field to put the Red Dragons ahead 1-0. The third and fourth innings were scoreless, and in the top of the fifth inning, Alfred State tied the game 1-1 after Max Gladke grounded out to shortstop with Morrison on third. Matty Eygabroad put Alfred State ahead 2-1 shortly after.
Oneonta responded in the bottom of the fifth inning when sophomore Joseph Monserrat (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central) drove in an RBI single up the middle to tie the game 2-2. Monserrat went on to steal second and third base after a catching error by Anthony Snyder, leading to Sean Clinton (New City, NY/Clarkstown South) hitting an RBI-double to right field to put Oneonta back up ahead 3-2.
Alfred State tied the game 3-3 in the top of the sixth inning with an RBI-single from Jordan Hughes and then took the lead in the top of the seventh inning with a sacrifice-fly RBI by Zach Young.
The Alfred State pitching staff struggled in the bottom of the eighth, as Zach Miner allowed a walk and a single before Dillon Kelly entered the game and hit Anthony Loia (Hopewell Junction, NY/Arlington) with a pitch and threw a wild pitch, leading Oneonta to tie the game at 4-4. Halwick hit a sacrifice-fly RBI to put the Red Dragons back up ahead 5-4.
Junior Lukas Jachens (Cornwall, NY/Cornwall Central) recorded a 1-2-3 ninth inning to secure the win for Oneonta. Neglia went 5.0 innings with three hits, two runs, and six strikeouts.
Halwick went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Monserrat went 1-for-2 with one RBI and one run scored.
Hughes went 2-for-4 with one RBI. Matty Eygabroad went 2-for-4 with one RBI.
The Red Dragons will host Brockport on Friday, March 27, at 3 p.m.
