WINTER HAVEN, FL – The SUNYIT baseball team split a doubleheader with the Mt. St. Mary (NY) College Knights during day two of its annual spring trip to Florida, winning game one 3-2 before falling 11-3 in game two.  The Wildcats are now 2-2 overall to open the 2011 season.

The Wildcats took an early 1-0 lead in game one on a sac-fly RBI by senior Dan Orza (Pleasant Valley, NY/Arlington) and would hold that lead until the top of the fourth inning, as Mt. St. Mary took advantage of three SUNYIT errors and scored two runs to take the lead.  Another sacrifice fly RBI by Orza in the fifth would tie the game back up at 2 all.

After a scoreless sixth inning, the Wildcats would make quick work of the Knights in the top of the final frame, facing only four batters and forcing three pop-ups to end the inning.  Senior Matt Wanner (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) would then lead off the seventh inning with a single and would then be replaced by freshman pinch runner Cody Chambers (Unadilla, NY/Unatego).  After advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior Kevin Burr (Oriskany, NY/Oriskany) and then getting to third on a ground out by sophomore John LeClair (Mohawk, NY/Cortland State), Chambers would use his speed to score on a passed ball by Mt. St. Mary and give SUNYIT the win.

LeClair finished with two hits, a double and one scored.  Junior pitcher Anthony Osorio (Amsterdam, NY/Fulton-Montgomery CC) went two innings and allowed one hit while striking out batter to record the victory.

While the Wildcats again scored three runs in game two, it would not be enough as the Knights exploded for 11 runs to even out the doubleheader.  SUNYIT scored two runs in the top of the first but Mt. St. Mary would tie the game with two runs in the second and then scored a combined four runs in the next two innings to take a commanding lead.  Another run came in the fifth for SUNYIT on an RBI single by junior Michael McCrone (Whitney Point, NY/Hudson Valley CC), but a five-run sixth inning for Mt. St. Mary would seal the deal and give the Knights the victory.

McCrone drove in two runs on the day, while junior Anthony Surber (Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollow Hills) scored two runs.

Vinnie Carminati and Josh Depew both had two hits with two RBI and two runs scored for Mt. St. Mary.  Dean White pitched five innings and had four strikeouts to register the win.

The Wildcats will be back in action on Wednesday when they take on Moravian College for a doubleheader.  Game one is scheduled to begin at 9:00 am.  

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