Auburndale, F.L. - The SUNY Poly baseball team dropped both games to the Thomas College Terriers on day two of the RussMatt Invitational. The Wildcats fell 11-0 in game one and 16-9 in game two. The Wildcats are now 1-4 on the season. 

GAME ONE: 

The game started on a quiet note for the Wildcats, as they were retired in order. Thomas College struck first, capitalizing on a leadoff walk and a series of productive at-bats. After Elijah Morton advanced to third on a passed ball, DJ Cagnina grounded out to second, bringing Morton home for the first run of the game. 

SUNY Poly got a leadoff single from Luke Landis in the second, but he was quickly picked off first base, which led to a quiet inning as the Wildcats went down with no additional scoring threats.

The Terriers continued to add pressure in the second, though SUNY Poly's defense kept the game within reach. Despite walking two batters and having a few base runners, the Wildcats managed to limit the damage to just one run.

In the bottom of the third, Thomas College pushed their lead to 2-0. Morton tripled to left field, and a sacrifice fly from Cagnina brought him home, but the Wildcats remained poised, preventing any further runs.

Despite a single from Ryan Pelton in the fourth, the Wildcats were unable to string together any offense. 

The floodgates opened for Thomas College in the fourth inning. They exploded for four runs, starting with a double from Jason Bartlett that brought in two runs. Matt Seymour followed with a triple, extending the lead to 5-0. A couple of more singles pushed the score to 6-0. 

The Wildcats showed some resilience in the fifth, but the offense couldn't break through. Thomas College added another run in the fifth, bringing the score to 7-0 with an unearned run scoring on a groundout.

The Wildcats showed grit in the final frame, but despite getting some runners on base, they couldn't push a run across and would fall in game one by a score of 11-0. 

GAME TWO: 

The Wildcats would have a chance to score early, as a walk to Derek Holmes put two runners on base, but Luke Landis flied out to third, and Ryan Pelton grounded out to end the inning. 

The Terriers broke through in the top of the second with four unearned runs. A leadoff double by Samuel Keblinsky and a walk to Cagnina set the stage for a sacrifice fly that scored the first run. After a couple of more hits, including a double from Morton, Thomas extended their lead to 4-0.

The Wildcats fought back in the bottom of the second. Down 4-0, SUNY Poly got things going with a single from Daniel Flaherty and a hit by pitch to Will Orlando. After a passed ball, a series of stolen bases and walks put the Wildcats in scoring position. A key double by Quinn Hill drove in two runs, and a sacrifice fly by Derek Holmes brought home a fourth run to tie the game at 4-4.

Thomas College answered quickly in the third inning, taking a 8-4 lead. The Terriers put together a mix of walks, stolen bases, and singles, with Morton driving in another run with a single to right field.

SUNY Poly's offense remained resilient, though, putting runners on base in the bottom of the third. However, they couldn't capitalize, as they went scoreless, leaving two runners stranded.

In the top of the fourth, Thomas College would push the lead to 12-4. A two-run double by Hayden Dippner and a single from Jason Bartlett helped the Terriers extend their advantage.

In the fifth, Thomas added three more runs, including a two-run homer from Keblinsky, pushing their lead to 15-4. 

The Wildcats fought hard in the bottom of the seventh, scoring five runs to narrow the gap to 15-9. Peter Gallagher walked to start the inning, and after a couple of errors by Thomas, SUNY Poly capitalized on some wild plays. A fielder's choice RBI by Skylar Unebasami, along with a RBI triple by Orlando and a balk that scored another run, helped SUNY Poly mount a late rally.

Despite the late push, the Wildcats couldn't get any closer. Thomas College held on for the 15-9 win.