Charlotte, N.C. – The SUNY Poly baseball team split a doubleheader against Johnson & Wales (Charlotte) on Saturday afternoon, dropping the opener 6–4 before erupting offensively for an 18–3 victory in the second game. With the split, the Wildcats move to 2-5 on the season.
GAME ONE:
SUNY Poly struck first in the top of the opening inning. Johnny Yamin led off with a double to center field and advanced to third on a throwing error by the pitcher. Quinn Hill followed with a sacrifice fly to center to bring Yamin home and give the Wildcats an early 1–0 lead.
Johnson & Wales answered quickly in the bottom of the frame. Jayden Nezaj drew a leadoff walk and later came around to score when Cannon Jackson launched a two-run home run. Moments later, Marco Fernandez added a solo shot to left field as the hosts took a 3–1 lead after one inning.
The Wildcats responded in the third inning after taking advantage of a defensive miscue. Brody Liddy reached on an error and Johnny Yamin worked a walk to put two runners on. Hill then delivered the biggest swing of the inning, blasting a three-run home run that plated both runners and pushed SUNY Poly back in front, 4–3.
Both teams settled into a defensive battle through the middle innings. SUNY Poly received solid defensive play behind the pitcher, highlighted by a caught stealing that erased a Johnson & Wales baserunner in the fourth, while the Wildcats stranded a runner in scoring position in the fifth.
The Wildcats nearly added insurance in the sixth when Ethan Merone doubled to right-center field with two outs, but Johnson & Wales worked out of the inning to keep the deficit at one.
The hosts regained control in the bottom of the sixth. Jordan Brown was hit by a pitch to start the inning before Cannon Jackson struck again with a two-run home run to left, putting Johnson & Wales back on top. Fernandez followed with his second home run of the game, extending the lead to 6–4.
SUNY Poly was unable to rally in the seventh as Johnson & Wales closed out the contest to secure the 6–4 victory in the opener.
GAME TWO:
Both teams traded scoreless frames early as SUNY Poly starter Trevor French and the Johnson & Wales pitching staff kept offenses in check through the first three innings.
The hosts broke through in the fourth inning. Marco Fernandez singled to start the rally before a pair of hits and aggressive baserunning loaded the bases. Stetson Stack drove in the first run with an RBI single, Jayden Nezaj added a sacrifice fly, and Preston Whitaker capped the inning with an RBI double to give Johnson & Wales a 3–0 lead.
SUNY Poly responded emphatically in the top of the fifth. After a walk and a single put two runners aboard, Johnny Yamin crushed a three-run home run to tie the game at 3–3. The Wildcats continued to build momentum as Quinn Hill doubled and later scored on an RBI double by Ethan Merone. Luke Landis added a single, and Zach Place delivered an RBI double to cap a six-run inning that pushed SUNY Poly in front 6–3.
The Wildcats broke the game wide open in the sixth inning with one of their most explosive offensive frames of the season. SUNY Poly sent a long line of hitters to the plate, capitalizing on walks, timely hits, and a key error.
Brody Liddy started the surge with a double before the Wildcats loaded the bases. Landis was hit by a pitch to force in a run, and consecutive bases-loaded walks to Zach Place, John Leonard, and Skyler Unebasami added three more. Nick Cadolino then lined a two-run single to left, and Liddy followed with a two-run home run to center.
The Wildcats were not done yet. Yamin doubled and later scored when Hill reached on an error, setting the stage for Merone to launch a three-run homer to cap the massive inning as SUNY Poly plated 12 runs and surged to an 18–3 advantage.
SUNY Poly's pitching staff handled the rest from there. Nate Macalpin, Maddox Garvey, and Michael Catalano combined to limit Johnson & Wales over the final innings, allowing the Wildcats to cruise to the 18–3 victory and earn the split in the doubleheader.
