CANTON, N.Y. — The Oneonta baseball team put together a complete performance on both sides of the ball Saturday afternoon, rolling past Canton, 9-3, in SUNYAC action.
Behind a complete game outing from starter junior Jake Quigley (Harrison, NY/Harrison) and a balanced offensive attack, Oneonta improved to 14-13 overall and 4-5 in conference play.
Oneonta wasted no time getting on the board in the opening inning. Sophomore Joseph Monserrat (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central) reached base and manufactured a run, stealing second and third before scoring on a throwing error to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
The Red Dragons broke the game open in the third inning, plating three runs on four hits. Zachary Rowe (Hudson, NY/Taconic Hills) jump-started the rally with an RBI double to left center, followed by senior Brendan Duffy's (Southold, NY/Southold Jr./Sr.) RBI double that stretched the lead. Ryan Cronin (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) later drove in a run on a fielder's choice as Oneonta built a 4-0 advantage.
Quigley recorded eight hits over nine innings, allowing just three runs—only one earned—while striking out a career-high 10 and walking two to earn his fourth win of the season.
Canton trimmed the deficit to 4-2 in the sixth, capitalizing on a pair of Oneonta errors, but the Red Dragons quickly responded.
In the seventh inning, Oneonta added two key insurance runs when senior Nick Jacoby (Yorktown Heights, NY/Yorktown) ripped a two-run triple down the left field line, scoring Rowe and freshman Alex Halwick (Selkirk, NY/Ravena Coeymans Selkirk) to push the lead to 6-2.
The offense continued to apply pressure late. Rowe delivered again in the eighth with an RBI single, and Oneonta tacked on two more runs in the ninth—taking advantage of defensive miscues—to seal the 9-3 victory.
Rowe led the way offensively, going 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Duffy also collected three hits and drove in a run, while Monserrat scored three times and wreaked havoc on the basepaths with four stolen bases. Jacoby added two RBI, highlighted by his seventh-inning triple.
As a team, Oneonta totaled 12 hits and stole six bases, consistently putting pressure on the Canton defense throughout the game.
The Red Dragons will look to carry the momentum into Saturday's doubleheader against the Roos, starting at 11 a.m.
