Houghton, N.Y. - The SUNY Poly baseball team picked up two conference wins, after defeating the Alfred University Saxons in game one by a score of 20-3 and game two by a score of 15-12. Multiple Wildcats displayed strong offensive performances, as seven batters recorded multiple RBIs. The pair of wins push the Wildcats to 7-9 on the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
SUNY Poly delivered a dominant performance in a 20-1 win over Alfred, showcasing their explosive offense and solid pitching from start to finish. The Wildcats wasted no time getting on the board, scoring three runs in the opening frame. After a strikeout to lead off, they took advantage of walks and stolen bases, with Colin Williams contributing a key RBI double to put the Wildcats ahead early.
Alfred responded with some early opportunities, putting two runners on base in the first and threatening again in the fourth, but they could not capitalize.
The Wildcats erupted in the fifth inning, scoring five runs, aided by a mix of well-timed hits and a few costly Alfred errors. Ethan Merone's two-RBI triple highlighted the frame, while Williams added a single to plate another run. SUNY Poly capitalized on defensive mistakes, increasing their lead to 9-1.
The Wildcats poured it on in the sixth, adding four more runs to push their lead to 13-1. Another key triple from Merone and a series of singles and wild pitches saw the Wildcats flex their offensive depth. The Wildcats put the game completely out of reach by the seventh inning, as SUNY Poly exploded for seven more runs, with hits from Masaki Brey, Brody Liddy, and others, taking a commanding 20-1 lead.
The Saxons would add a couple of runs in the final frame, but would not have enough to dig themselves out of the deficit. The Wildcats would take game one by a score of 20-3.
GAME TWO:
The second game started with a quiet first inning on both sides. SUNY Poly got a single from Quinn Hill and a stolen base, but the offense couldn't break through. Alfred, despite putting a runner on base, also couldn't get anything across, keeping the game scoreless early.
SUNY Poly threatened again in the second, with hits from E. Merone and C. Williams, but once more they were left stranded. Alfred responded in their half of the second with a pair of runners reaching base, but an inning-ending groundout kept things tied at zero.
The game finally came alive in the third. The Saxons took advantage of an error to get their first run on the board, followed by a string of hits, including a 2-RBI single. By the end of the frame, Alfred had taken a 4-0 lead.
But the Wildcats quickly fought back in the top of the fifth. Luke Landis delivered a clutch 2-RBI double, followed by Tristan Allen's 2 run homer to tie the game at 4-4.
In the sixth, SUNY Poly went ahead 6-4 with a pair of wild pitches and a sacrifice fly from Hill. Alfred responded with a run in the bottom of the inning.
By the eighth inning, The Wildcats were up 9-7, thanks to a series of clutch hits and timely fielding mistakes by Alfred. The Wildcats were relentless, and in the top of the ninth, they pulled away for good. Masaki Brey's two-RBI single and a Quinn Hill two run single gave the Wildcats a 13-11 lead, and a two-run double from T. Allen added insurance, making it 15-11.
The Saxons did rally in the bottom of the ninth, scoring one more run and loading the bases with two outs. But Landis, who came in to pitch, got the final out, securing the win for SUNY Poly.
