Auburn, N.Y. – The SUNY Poly baseball team dropped a tightly contested matchup to Canton by a score of 4–3 on Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats battled back from an early deficit and were tied late, but a ninth-inning sacrifice fly proved to be the difference. With the loss, SUNY Poly starts the season 0-1.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Canton struck first in the opening frame, capitalizing on a SUNY Poly throwing error to plate the game's first run. Later in the inning, Phillips, Jr. delivered an RBI single to left field to score another unearned run, giving the visitors a 2–0 advantage after one.
SUNY Poly threatened in the bottom half when Johnny Yamin doubled down the right field line, but he was thrown out trying to stretch it to third, halting the momentum. Both teams were kept off the board in the second, as a Canton double play erased a potential rally and the Wildcats stranded two runners.
After a scoreless top of the third, SUNY Poly broke through in the bottom half. Brody Liddy worked a walk and eventually came around to score on a Canton fielding error in right field, trimming the deficit to 2–1.
The Wildcats continued to chip away in the fourth. Ryan Pelton walked and Tristan Allen followed with a single to put two on. A productive sequence moved both runners into scoring position, and Will Orlando lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to bring Pelton home, evening the score at 2–2.
Canton regained the lead in the fifth, again using speed and a defensive miscue to its advantage. After a single and two stolen bases put a runner at third, a SUNY Poly error in right allowed the go-ahead run to score, making it 3–2.
The Wildcats answered immediately in the bottom of the inning. Yamin drew a walk and came around to score on a clutch RBI double to left center by Luke Landis, tying the game at 3–3.
Both pitching staffs settled in from there. SUNY Poly worked out of a sixth-inning jam after a leadoff single, and the Wildcats' bullpen tossed clean frames in the seventh and navigated through traffic in the eighth despite two errors and multiple stolen bases by Canton.
The decisive moment came in the top of the ninth. Canton loaded the bases with one out through a single, hit-by-pitch, stolen bases, and a walk. Sal Diaz then lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing the go-ahead run to score and putting Canton in front 4–3.
In the bottom of the ninth, Ethan Merone sparked hope with a leadoff single down the left field line. A sacrifice bunt moved the tying run into scoring position, but Canton recorded a pair of flyouts to center field to seal the 4–3 victory.
