Nicholas Winograd, Contributing Writer |
SUNY Oneonta was defeated by SUNY Fredonia on Monday, Apr. 11 by a score of 5- 4. Kyle Roper got the start for the Red Dragons, and he went on to pitch six and two-thirds innings, surrendering just three runs and striking out four. As for Fredonia, it was Kevin Mahon who took the rubber, and he and Roper were in quite a pitcher’s duel for a few innings.
Mahon pitched seven innings, giving up three runs on four hits while notching five strikeouts. After getting out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning courtesy of a Mike Sabatine RBI (Runs Batted In) groundout, the Blue Devils got even in the bottom of the inning, thanks to a run-scoring single by senior first baseman Pat Bigham. The bats went silent from there, as neither the Dragons nor Devils scored for the next five innings. The scoring drought ended abruptly in the sixth on the strength of a home run by catcher Sean Liquori to lead off the frame. Later in the inning, after a walk to Anthony Gonzalez and a Liam Kaseta single, pinch hitter Matt McAllister grounded out to third, but Gonzalez was able to come home with the third Red Dragon run of the game.
A clean bottom of the sixth and top of the seventh by Roper and Mahon brought the game to the bottom of the seventh inning, where Fredonia began to rally. After a leadoff single by Ryan Hann and an advance to both second and third, he was able to score courtesy of a Kenny Benitez sacrifice fly, cutting the Red Dragon lead to a slim one run. A single by center fielder Tyler Phillips chased Roper, and Matt Russo had the task of closing out the frame without any more damage. This was not the case however, as the Devils got to Russo quickly, starting with an RBI single by senior Johnny Genau, and ending with catcher Brian Chatt bringing him home with a single of his own. The Blue Devils also stole two bases in the inning, giving them more opportunities to hit with runners in scoring position. Logan Carriero would finally stop the bleeding with his team now down 4-3, striking out senior Luke Kenyon to end the seventh.
Kenny Ynoa replaced Mahon in the top of the eighth, and he was greeted with a long fly ball that made its way over the fence by designated hitter Anthony Gonzalez, who had a base hit earlier in the game. Gonzalez, who was on base three times in the game, kept his team in it, and both starting pitchers were penciled in for a no-decision as soon as that ball landed to start the eighth. Ynoa settled in from there, however, getting Kaseta to ground out, and Sabatine and center fielder Joe Ottaviano to fly out. In the ninth, Carriero made a quick mistake by walking Devils’ third baseman Tylor Murphy to start the inning. After Murphy advanced to second on a sacrifice by Hann, pinch hitter AJ Kinney singled, which put runners at the corners with just one out. Red Dragon reliever Kyle Rosenberger was called on to get two king-sized outs by Oneonta manager Ben Grimm. Kenny Benitez greeted the five-foot-ten left-hander with a ground ball, which could have been an inning-ending double play, but Benitez was just able to beat it out and Murphy came home with the go-ahead run. Sophomore Nathan O’Brochta was called on to get the last two outs for the Blue Devils, after Ynoa got pinch hitter Cole Rockwell to pop up to Murphy, playing third. O’Brochta ended the Red Dragons’ bid for a last inning comeback with a strikeout of Franklin Bodilla and a tough pitch that third baseman Jake Barrett flew out on.
The game ended 5-4 in favor of the Blue Devils, who moved to 10-11 with the win and left the Red Dragons with a 6-17 record on the season.
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