Utica, N.Y. – The SUNY Poly baseball team turned in a dominant all-around showing on Monday afternoon, sweeping a doubleheader against Alfred by scores of 12–2 and 10–2.With the wins, the Wildcats move to 8-5 on the season.
GAME ONE:
SUNY Poly wasted little time grabbing the lead in the opener. Johnny Yamin sparked the offense with a leadoff double to left-center in the bottom of the first, and after moving to third on a groundout, came home on an RBI single by Luke Landis to give the Wildcats an early 1–0 edge.
The Wildcats added on in the second. John Leonard reached to start the inning and eventually came around to score when Derek Menechino lifted a sacrifice fly to right, stretching the lead to 2–0.
SUNY Poly then broke the game wide open in the third with its biggest offensive inning of the contest. Quinn Hill and Landis opened the frame with back-to-back singles before Ryan Pelton drove in a run with an RBI single to center. Leonard and Jackson Mackenzie followed with walks, the latter forcing in another run, before Will Orlando delivered the knockout blow with a towering grand slam to cap a six-run inning and push the Wildcats in front 8–0.
The Wildcats continued to apply pressure in the fourth. Hill worked a leadoff walk, stole both second and third, and later scored on a passed ball. Leonard followed with an RBI single to plate Pelton and make it 10–0.
SUNY Poly tacked on two more in the sixth after Leonard and Mack reached base to set the table. Chris Baker came through with a two-run single to right, bringing home both runners and extending the lead to 12–0.
On the mound, the Wildcats were sharp throughout the opener, keeping Alfred off the scoreboard through six innings while limiting traffic and recording key strikeouts in several spots. Alfred managed two runs in the seventh on a pair of wild pitches, but SUNY Poly quickly closed the door to seal the 12–2 win.
GAME TWO:
Alfred struck first in the nightcap, using a first-inning double and an RBI groundout to take a 1–0 lead, but SUNY Poly answered immediately and never looked back.
The Wildcats capitalized on defensive miscues in the bottom of the second to surge ahead. Leonard reached on an error, Mackenzie singled, and Nick Cadolino also reached to load the bases. Menechino tied the game with a sacrifice fly before Baker drove in another run on a fielder's choice. Moments later, Yamin singled and Hill followed with an RBI base hit to center, capping a three-run frame and putting SUNY Poly on top 3–1.
SUNY Poly added another in the fourth when Baker doubled to right-center and later scored on Hill's second RBI single of the game, extending the lead to 4–1.
The Wildcats continued to build in the fifth. Leonard singled and eventually scored on an RBI double from Menechino, who was then brought home by a run-scoring single from Baker to make it 6–1.
Alfred threatened in the sixth with runners in scoring position, but SUNY Poly's pitching staff worked out of the jam to preserve the five-run cushion.
The Wildcats then put the game out of reach late. In the seventh, Menechino singled and came around to score on an RBI single from Yamin before Tristan Allen ripped a two-run double to right-center, stretching the lead to 9–1. SUNY Poly added one more in the eighth when Yamin delivered another RBI single to score Menechino and make it 10–1.
Alfred scratched across a run in the ninth, but SUNY Poly shut down any hopes of a rally to complete the 10–2 victory and finish off the doubleheader sweep.
