Utica, N.Y. - The SUNY Poly baseball team split their senior day doubleheader against the Keuka College Wolves, winning game one by a score of 7-2 and dropping game two by a score of 8-5. Quinn Hill had a strong day at the plate for the Wildcats, going 4-7 with an RBI. The Wildcats end their season with a final record of 14-21, securing a spot in the Empire 8 playoffs.
GAME ONE:
The opening innings saw both teams trading early jabs without much damage. Keuka scratched out a single in the first from Kyle Wood but left him stranded, while SUNY Poly answered with a leadoff single by Masaki Brey, only to see the inning erased by a double play.
Keuka struck first in the third, capitalizing on a leadoff walk and a single to put pressure on the Wildcats. A sacrifice bunt and a sac fly from Wood brought home the game's first run, giving the Wolves a 1–0 edge.
In the bottom half, SUNY Poly responded swiftly as Daniel Flaherty launched a solo home run to left field, tying things up at 1–1. Momentum swung firmly in the Wildcats favor an inning later. After a single and an error put two aboard, Colin Williams poked a go-ahead RBI single. Tristan Allen then laid down a sac bunt to move runners up, setting the stage for a three-run homer from Brody Liddy, blowing the game open with a 5–1 lead.
SUNY Poly added insurance in the fifth. A leadoff double by Brey and a walk chased Keuka's starter, but the new arms couldn't stop the bleeding. A bases-loaded walk to Williams brought home one, and a fielding error allowed another run to score, pushing the margin to 7–1.
Keuka showed signs of life in the sixth when Derek Novicki ripped an RBI double to right-center, trimming the deficit to 7–2, but that would be the last run the Wolves would muster. SUNY Poly's defense stiffened from there, inducing a double play to erase a base runner in the sixth and stranding another in the seventh to clinch the 7-2 victory in game one.
GAME TWO:
The early innings saw both teams find base runners, but Keuka and SUNY Poly each missed opportunities to break things open. The Wolves put two on in the top of the first with back-to-back singles but stranded both in scoring position. SUNY Poly's only baserunner in the first two frames was Brody Liddy, who was erased on a fielder's choice.
The Wildcats struck first in the bottom of the second without the benefit of a hit. A passed ball allowed Daniel Flaherty to score after reaching on a fielder's choice, giving SUNY Poly a 1–0 lead.
Keuka answered in the third. After a leadoff walk and single, Kyle Wood tied the game with an RBI single. Carlos Fantauzzi followed with a go-ahead knock. A sac bunt and an RBI groundout plated another run, and Jackson Loper capped the four-run frame with a single to center, giving the Wolves a 4–1 lead.
From there, SUNY Poly struggled to regain footing. Quinn Hill scored on an error in the sixth to trim the lead to 4–2, and later delivered an RBI single in the seventh, cutting it to 4–3—but Keuka's bullpen and defense stifled the rally.
The turning point came in the eighth, when Keuka capitalized on a leadoff double and an error to spark a four-run outburst. Fantauzzi continued his strong day with a two-RBI single, and Derek Novicki added an RBI on a fielder's choice to extend the Wolves' lead to 8–3.
SUNY Poly made one final push. After a hit-by-pitch and a double, the Wildcats plated two runs in the eighth—one on a double play and another on a wild pitch—to make it 8–5. But a leadoff hit-by-pitch in the ninth was erased by a game-ending double play, as Keuka's closer locked it down to secure the 8-5 win.
The Wildcats will now wait to see who they will face in the first round of the Empire 8 playoffs. The First game is scheduled for Tuesday, May 6th.
