Oneonta avoids elimnation with 9-7 win against Brockport
The SUNY Oneonta baseball team avoided elimination today from the NCAA New York Region tournament with a come-from-behind 9-7 victory against Brockport in a game played at Falcon Stadium in Auburn, N.Y. The Red Dragons rebounded from its 9-5 loss yesterday to Farmingdale in its tournament opener.
The win for Oneonta (29-12) was the program’s first NCAA win in its first ever appearance in the tournament. The win over Brockport (23-18) was also the first of this season against the Golden Eagles as the Red Dragons came up short in the three previous meetings.
Oneonta came alive with the bats today and played solid defense to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the sixth inning and then won the game in the top of the ninth with a pair of runs to break a seven all tie.
The senior duo of Steve Gauck and Carmine Caputo each had three hits in the contest as the Red Dragons collected 14 hits overall. Caputo drove in a pair and scored a pair while Gauck scored three runs including the game-winner in the ninth.
Freshman Bryan Marotta and sophomore Kevin Knack each drove in one run in the ninth inning. Marotta entered the game in the top of sixth inning as a pinch hitter before staying in the game to finish as the catcher. He finished the game with a pair of hits and a pair of runs batted in. In the five-run sixth inning for Oneonta, Marotta had a pinch hit double that drove in the second run of the inning. He ended up driving in the game-winning run with one out in the ninth.
Knack had a pair of hits and two runs batted in including an RBI triple in the sixth inning.
Junior Anthony Bates earned his fourth win of the season pitching 2-2/3 innings of scoreless relief while recording six strikeouts.
The ninth inning began with Gauck being hit by a pitch to start the inning. He was sacrificed to second by Ivan Plata and then scored on the RBI single by Marotta. Caputo then sacrificed Marotta to second to move him into scoring position and he came around to score on Knack’s single through the right side.
Oneonta took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Caputo led off the inning with a walk before advancing around to third base on a 1-2 wild pitch. Knack then lined out in foul territory to first baseman Nathan Parrino (Brockport/Brockport) for the first out of the inning. Senior Dan Randall then lined a sharp single to left field to drive in Caputo with the game’s first run. The final two outs of the inning were a fly out and a ground out, which left Randall at first.
Brockport leadoff hitter Max Keado (Troy/Catholic Central) hit a single through the right side off Oneonta starter Jeff Carter to start the bottom of the first. Carter then got the next hitter swinging. Keado then stole second and ended up at third on a two-out wild pitch. He scored on an infield single by Parrino.
Another infield single for Brockport gave them runners at first and second with two outs. Parrino scored from second on a single to left field by Mike Meola (Liverpool/Cicero-North Syracuse) as the throw from left fielder Mike Center was a one-hopper to the catcher and wasn’t controlled. The final out of the inning was a fly out to Center, but the Golden Eagles led 2-1 at the end of the first inning.
Brockport added a single run in the bottom of the third inning to take a 3-1 lead. Carter got Mike Weakley (Liverpool/Liverpool) to strike out swinging before walking Max Zimmerman (East Amherst/Williamsville North). Carter then struck out Parrino, but threw a wild pitch, which allowed Weakley to get into scoring position. Weakley scored on a single just by the dive of Gauck at third base by Joe Zaccardo (Webster/Webster Thomas) to give the Golden Eagles its two-run advantage. After a walk to Meola, Carter was taken out and replaced by Corey Andresen.
Andresen got Tom McCormick (Utica/Utica Notre Dame) to pop out to Knack to end the inning.
After being held scoreless for four straight innings, the Oneonta bats finally woke up in the top of the sixth inning. Freshman Mike Mascari hit a one-out single that was followed by a double into the left field corner by Gauck giving the Red Dragons two runners in scoring position. Junior Pete Lindner pinch hit for sophomore Cody Hitt and drove in Mascari from third with a sacrifice fly to center field. Marotta then pinch hit for Mike Arcuri and he drove the first pitch to the warning track in left field for a double that drove in Gauck from second base. The hit by Marotta ended the day of Brockport starter Smith.
The two-out rally continued for Oneonta with a single by Caputo that scored Marotta. Knack then hit a triple into the right field corner that drove in Caputo from first base. Randall then singled through the left side that knocked in Knack with the inning’s fifth run.
Randall moved to third on a single through the right side by Center, which brought Scott Dubben up for the second time in the inning. Dubben drew a walk to load the bases, which chased relief pitcher Mark Caruana (West Seneca/West Seneca West) from the game without retiring a batter.
The inning ended with a ground out to first base by Mascari, which was fielded by Brockport’s new pitcher, James Williamson (Mexico/Mexico).
Andresen got Zaccardo to hit a one-hopper back to the mound to start the bottom of the sixth inning. A sharp single up the middle by Meola got Brockport going again. Meola went to second on a wild pitch and then went to third base on a single McCormick. Freshman Stephen Boronczyk (Syracuse/Corcoran) kept the inning alive with a single through the left side that drove in Meola while advancing McCormick to third base. Boronczyk got himself into scoring position on the attempted put out at third base.
Andresen was finally knocked out of the game after a Jeff Jones (Lancaster/Lancaster) single that drove in McCormick that also moved Boronczyk to third base.
New Oneonta pitcher Josh Herzenberg was welcomed with a single to right field by Keado that drove in Boronczyk. The final run of the inning came in on a sacrifice fly to deep center field by Weakley that brought in Jones from third base.
Oneonta answered back with a single run in the top of the seventh to tie the score at 7-7. Gauck led off the inning with a single and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by pinch hitter Plata. Gauck scored on a two-out single up the middle by Caputo. Knack grounded out to second base to end the inning.
Oneonta will now play in another elimination game tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. against Keene State, who lost to Cortland tonight. The winner of that game will play a second game tomorrow night scheduled for 7:45 p.m.
Oneonta: Jeff Carter, Corey Andresen (3), Josh Herzenberg (5), Anthony Bates (7) and Mike Arcuri, Bryan Marotta
Brockport: Kyle Smith, Mark Caruana (6), James Williamson (6), Brian Wolf (9), Kyle Harris (9) and Joe Zaccardo
WP: Bates (4-5); LP: Williamson (0-5);
