Utica, N.Y. – The SUNY Poly baseball team battled throughout the day but ultimately dropped both ends of a doubleheader to SUNY Brockport on Sunday, falling 5–3 in game one and 15–4 in game two. With the losses, the Wildcats move to 10-11 on the season.
GAME ONE:
Brockport opened the scoring in the third inning, using a walk and a pair of timely hits to plate two runs and take an early 2–0 lead. Josh Indek delivered an RBI single before Michael Norton followed with a run-scoring hit to right.
The Golden Eagles added to their advantage in the fourth. After a leadoff double and an error put pressure on the Wildcats, a sacrifice fly brought home an unearned run to extend the lead to 3–0.
Brockport continued to manufacture offense in the fifth, capitalizing on a wild pitch to push across another run and make it 4–0. They added one more in the seventh, taking advantage of an error to stretch the margin to 5–0.
SUNY Poly struggled to get the offense going early, as Brockport's pitching staff held the Wildcats hitless through much of the game. Quinn Hill's first-inning double stood as one of the few early bright spots, but the Wildcats were unable to build on it.
The breakthrough finally came in the seventh inning. Ryan Pelton worked a walk and Jackson Mackenzie followed with a single to spark the rally. Will Orlando delivered an RBI single to put SUNY Poly on the board, and Derek Menechino followed with a clutch RBI double to bring the Wildcats within three. A wild pitch later in the inning allowed another run to score, cutting the deficit to 5–3.
The Wildcats threatened to continue the comeback, but Brockport was able to escape the inning and hold firm down the stretch. SUNY Poly was set down in order in both the eighth and ninth innings, as the Golden Eagles secured the 5–3 victory.
GAME TWO:
Brockport wasted no time jumping in front in the nightcap, scoring twice in the opening inning on a two-run sequence highlighted by an RBI double from Matthew Coon and a run-scoring single from Evan Brock.
SUNY Poly answered in the bottom half, as John Leonard singled and came around to score on an RBI groundout by Zach Place to cut the deficit to 2–1.
The Golden Eagles responded immediately, adding a run in the second and then breaking things open in the third. Brockport strung together four hits in the inning, including RBI doubles from James Dixon and Kyle Blake, to extend the lead to 5–1.
SUNY Poly chipped away in the third when Derek Holmes delivered an RBI single, and the Wildcats added another in the fourth on an RBI groundout from Leonard to make it 8–3. Carter Hufland later contributed an RBI single in the fifth to trim the deficit to 8–4.
However, Brockport continued to apply pressure offensively. The Golden Eagles added a run in the sixth before erupting for six runs in the seventh inning. Taking advantage of multiple errors and timely hits, Brockport pushed the lead to 15–4 and effectively put the game out of reach.
SUNY Poly put together a late threat in the bottom of the seventh with three hits, including a double from Chris Baker, but were unable to bring any runs across.
Brockport closed out the 15–4 win to complete the doubleheader sweep.
