SUNY Plattsburgh Season Ends in SUNYAC Double Elimination

Bottom of the third, Clarkson with runners at 2nd and 3rd. Aidan Kuefner (16) drives a fast ball up the middle, plating Beau Vardion and Jake Millich, cutting Plattsburgh's lead to 4-2.  The Cardinals hold off a late Clarkson rally for a 12-10 win in a non-league game.  (Bob LaRue photo)

04/02/2024: A trio of three-run innings early put the Clarkson University Baseball team in an early hole against Plattsburgh State, and despite seven runs late, the Golden Knights could not overcome the deficit, falling 12-10 in the 2024 home opener at Jack Phillips Stadium. The Golden Knights fell to 7-9 on the season while Plattsburgh State moved to 12-7. Clarkson is scheduled for a three-game set against University of Rochester this weekend. With an unforgiving April weather event occurring in the coming days, those games dates are still up in the air. Plattsburgh picked up three in the first inning thanks to an RBI groundout from Kyle Cremin, a single by Aidan Diltz, and a throwing error. The Cardinals added another run on a fielder's choice in the third to put the score at 4-0 early. Clarkson picked up three in the bottom half of the third. Aidan Kuefner singled in Beau Vardion and Jake Millich to cut the deficit in half and then a double to center by Joe Figliolino allowed Kuefner to score from first. Plattsburgh got the three runs back in the fourth. Mike Rasquin singled in a run and later scored on a sacrifice fly, while Jack DeFayette came around on a wild pitch. The Cardinals also picked up three in the fifth with two coming around on a double by Joey DiRocco, and DiRocco later scored on a single from Frank Kowal. Clarkson rallied with another two-run single by Kuefner in the bottom of the sixth, but Plattsburgh matched those runs in the top of the seventh. The Knights put a scare into the Cardinals with a five-spot in the bottom of the seventh. Three straight hits loaded the bases for Quinn Maslowski, who doubled to right-center to clear the bases. Beau Vardion then delivered a two-run homer over the left field fence to make it 12-10. Clarkson would have only one more base runner in its next two at bats. Kuefner and Figliolino each finished with 3-for-5 days, Kuefner driving in four and Figliolino doubling twice. Quinn Maslowski was 2-for-5 with three RBI, Kent Wilson was 2-for-5, and James Mason scored twice, going 2-for-4 and also reaching on a walk. Beau Vardion had just one hit, but scored three times and drove in two.

SUNY Canton’s Fernando Santana (34) slides onto third base, just beating the tag from St. Lawrence University third baseman Cristian Forgione (8) to advance into scoring position. The Kangaroos strung together four runs in thefifth inning to capture a 9-7 victory over the Saints. (Cody Jenne photo) Game Gallery

SUNY Canton’s Brandon Bautista (18) drives the ball into the gap between center and left fields to earn a double and advance a runner into scoring position at third base.  The Bulldogs surged in the seventh inning to capture the 8-6 victory over the Roos. (Cody Jenne photo) Game Gallery

 April 13: Brett Hoberman and Brandon Bautista both hit home runs and Hoberman led the Roos with five hits on the day but the SUNY Canton baseball team dropped a doubleheader v. Stevens by scores of 8-6 and 15-2 on Saturday. The Roos jumped out to a 5-3 lead after three innings in the opener behind two runs in the first and three in the second. Stevens tied the game at 5-5 with a pair of runs in the fourth and each team scored once in the fifth. The difference proved to be a Ryan Finegan 2 RBI single in the sixth that broke the tie. Finegan went a perfect 4-for-4 on the day. Hoberman and Brian Santana led the Roos as they each went 3-for-4 from the plate. Hoberman had a home run, double and drove in four of Canton's six runs. Bautista also hit a solo homer for the Roos. Jake Vierno earned the no-decision tossing five innings giving up three earned runs with seven strike outs. Anthony Tur took the loss giving up one earned run in one inning. Alex Smith picked up the victory for Stevens surrendering just two hits and on runs in 2.1 innings. Danny Poidomani was credited with the no-decision pitching 4.2 innings giving up six runs with 13 strike outs.  Stevens scored six runs in the third and four in the eighth as they claimed a 15-2 victory in the nightcap. The Roos scored their two runs in the opening inning on a pair of Hoberman and Bautista RBI ground outs. Ben Miller paced the Canton bats with three hits, while Santana and Hoberman had two each. Kieran Gibson took the loss giving up nine runs with two strike outs in 2.2 innings. Ryan Larsen earned the win surrendering nine hits and two runs fanning four batters in eight innings. Tommy Baronner and Donny Gherardi tallied three hits each for the Ducks.

April 11: Edward Malinoski, Jr. posted three hits and Brett Hoberman drove in a pair of runs as a late Roos rally fell just short as the SUNY Canton baseball team dropped a 9-8 decision at St. Lawrence University in 10 innings.  Malinoski led all players with three hits in the contest and added a sacrifice and walk in six plate appearances, while Hoberman tied a game-high with 2 RBI. Jesse Iacovetta, Ben Miller and Collin Lynk also had hits. The Roos scored three runs in the fifth, four in the ninth and one in the fourth, while the Saints tallied three runs in the seventh, two each in the first and fifth and one each in the eighth and tenth. St. Lawrence earned the walk-off win on a walk in the bottom of the 10th. Canton rallied to score four runs in the top of the 9th to send the game to extras. Brandon Bautista tookt he loss giving up just one hit and two walks in one inning.

SUNY Plattsburgh's Mike Rasquin singles up the middle. Joey DiRocco scores.  Alex Kornblau then skied to right. On the sac-fly, Rasquin came home to score. 7-3 Plattsburgh. The Cardinals hold off a late Clarkson rally for a 12-10 win in a non-league game.  (Bob LaRue photo)

04/02/2024: The Plattsburgh State Cardinals won their third straight game at Jack Phillips Stadium in Potsdam, New York, defeating Clarkson 12-10 in a strong road win on Tuesday over the Golden Knights. The Cards jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the fifth and held on to win to snap a three-game losing skid. Mike Rasquin (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) had a strong game in the leadoff spot, collecting three hits while scoring and driving in two runs. First-year Frankie Kowal (Shrub Oak, N.Y./Lakeland) had three hits and two RBI while both Joey Di Rocco (Congers, N.Y./Clarkstown South) and Aidan Diltz (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) each had two hits and two RBI. The pair kept their averages over .400 with Diltz leading the team batting .410 and Di Rocco currently hitting .404. Dylan Bass (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) earned his third win of the season with 5.1 innings of work on the mound, giving up four earned runs while striking out two. Nick Goldberg (Commack, N.Y./Commack) earned his first career save, going 3.2 innings and striking out three batters. Plattsburgh State moves to 12-7 and next open a home conference series against Oswego State, as they commence a three-game series beginning on Friday, April 5 at 3 p.m. Clarkson falls to 7-9 on the year with the loss and next begins a league series with Rochester beginning on Friday, April 5. The Cards used a three-run first to give themselves an early advantage and a lead they would hold the entire game. Kyle Cremin (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Kennedy Catholic) brought in the first run, scoring Rasquin with an RBI groundout after Rasquin and Alex Kornblau (Pound Ridge, N.Y./Fox Lane) both singled to start the game. Diltz singled home Kornblau two batters later and then a run came around to score on a failed pickoff attempt. In the third, the Cards added a run off a Diltz RBI fielder's choice to put the team up 4-0. Clarkson added three runs in the third, as Aidan Kuefner singled home two runs and scored on a double. Plattsburgh responded with three runs of their own to go back up four runs in the fourth, as Rasquin singled home Di Rocco after a walk and one-out single put two on for the centerfielder. A wild pitch brought home another run and Kornblau brought home Rasquin in the same at bat with a sacrifice fly. The 7-3 lead turned to a 10-3 lead in the fifth as Di Rocco laced his team-leading sixth double to score two runs and Kowal singled him home directly after. After going five innings, Bass went out having just allowed two earned runs but put two batters on base before exiting with one out in the sixth. Goldberg got the second out of the inning but a wild pitch and single up the middle scored both of the batters Bass put on, as the runs were charged to the Plattsburgh starter. The Cardinals got the runs immediately back in the seventh beginning with Zach Rainville (Saranac, N.Y./Saranac) pinch ran, stole second, and advanced to third on a Di Rocco single. Kowal followed with a single to left center to score Rainville and after a sacrifice bunt, Rasquin brought home Di Rocco with a sacrifice fly to center. In the bottom of the seventh, a couple of infield hits set up a big inning for Clarkson, as Quinn Maslowksi doubled home three runs and then came around to score on a two-run homer by Beau Vardion, putting the Golden Knights down just two runs. With a close game, the Cards weren't able to add runs in the eighth and ninth, leaving the game in the hands of Goldberg, who settled in the final two frames, going 1-2-3 in the eighth and then working around a two-out single to get Vardion to fly out to center to end the game. Tommy DiFranco was charged with his second loss of the year, giving up four runs in three innings of work, while Joe Figliolino had three hits and two doubles and Kuefner drove in four runs on three hits.

St. Lawrence University’s Cristian Forgione leaps to avoid the slide and tag the University of Rochester base runner for the final out of the fifth inning. Rochester scored three runs in the first inning and two in the second inning to capture the 5-2 victory in Game 1. U-of-R also swept the nightcap 11-4.  (Cody Jenne photo) Game Gallery 

May 4: The St. Lawrence baseball team was edged by Clarkson in two tight Liberty League contests on Tom Fay Field on Saturday afternoon, as the visiting Golden Knights spoiled the Saints' senior day with a pair of 3-1 wins. Seniors Jeremy Gerringer and Evan Reichel each finished with a pair of hits on the day to lead the Saints, with Reichel's coming in pinch-hit opportunities in both games. The Camillus, New York native had not played a game this season prior to Saturday due to injury, but picked up singles in both at bats. Fellow senior Alex Black tied his career high with nine strikeouts in the first game, though the Clarkson staff combined for 20 on the day, including 13 from Nate Burns in the nightcap. In both games, St. Lawrence stranded the potential game-tying or game-winning runs on base in the latter innings.   Game 1 – Clarkson 3, St. Lawrence 1 First-years Nicholas Butler and Jake Delaney both finished 2-for-3 in the opener, while Gerringer drove in the Saints lone run of the game in a 1-for-3 outing. Clarkson pulled out in front with two runs on two hits and two St. Lawrence errors in the top of the third inning. After Mike Messier led off the inning with a single, a three-base error in the next at-bat brought him in as the game's first run, before an RBI double down the left field line by Tommy Bianchi plated Michael Tito for a 2-0 lead. The Saints cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth with Gerringer's RBI single to third base with the bases loaded that brought Andrew Circelli in to score to make it a 2-1 game. But another error in the sixth helped the Golden Knights to another run, pushing the score to the final 3-1 margin. Black pitched another complete game, his fourth of the season, and allowed just four hits with nine strikeouts. None of Clarkson's three runs were earned. Ryan Riley picked up the win for the Golden Knights, allowing just one run on seven hits with six strikeouts of his own. Nate Burns was credited with a save from working out of a seventh-inning jam without allowing a hit. Game 2 – Clarkson 3, St. Lawrence 1 It was the Saints who struck first in game two, as Andrew Circelli hit an RBI triple deep to the base of the wall in straightaway center field to bring in Joe DeGuardia and put St. Lawrence in front 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth. Errors cost the Saints once again, however, as Clarkson took a 2-1 lead with two unearned runs in the top of the sixth. The Golden Knights extended that lead in the top of the eight, when Mike Messier hit a solo home run to left field to make it a 3-1 game in favor of the visitors. In the bottom of the eighth, St. Lawrence worked the bases loaded with a pair of walks and a fielding error by Clarkson with just one out, but Nate Burns got both Black and DeGuardia to go down swinging to work out of trouble and keep the Golden Knights in front. St. Lawrence started Caleb Clarke allowed three runs (one earned) on six hits in 8.0 innings of work, his longest outing of the season, with four strikeouts. Senior Charlie Pacilio pitched an inning in relief, and allowed just one hit. Burns, who saved the first game and won the second, went the full nine for Clarkson and allowed just one run on six hits with 13 strikeouts.

April 13: The University of Rochester built an early lead in both games of a Liberty League doubleheader against the St. Lawrence University baseball team on Saturday afternoon, as the Saints fell to the Yellowjackets 5-2 and 11-4, respectively, on Tom Fay Field. Rookie Andrew Circelli was the lone Saints player with a multi-hit game on the day, going 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored in game one. Senior Evan O'Keeffe led the Saints with two RBI in the second game, as he drilled a line-drive home run down the left field line in the third inning. Rochester combined for 27 hits in the doubleheader, with only one of those going for extra bases. They also finished with eight stolen bases on the day, including four for Kyle Trombley. Game 1 – Rochester 5, St. Lawrence 2 St. Lawrence committed two errors through the first four Rochester at bats in the top of the first inning, allowing the Yellowjackets to take an early 3-0 lead, which, coincidentally, was all they needed en route to the win. The visitors then extended their lead to 5-0 with two runs on three hits and another St. Lawrence error in the top of the second. Starter Alex Black shut down the Yellowjackets in the next three innings, as did Liam Reiner in relief. Black allowed nine hits in 5.0 innings pitched and gave up just two earned runs with two strikeouts. Reiner pitched the final two innings, allowing just one hit and striking out three. St. Lawrence scored a run in both the fifth and sixth innings, first on an RBI groundout by Will Montgomery that brought Circelli in to score. In the sixth, it was Circelli who hit a deep sacrifice fly to the warning track in left field that allowed Taylor Digilio to tag up and come in for the team's second and final run of the game. Game 2 – Rochester 11, St. Lawrence 4 The Rochester bats were out in full force in game two, as the Yellowjackets took a 7-0 lead with seven runs on seven hits in the top of the second inning and led by as much as 9-0 in the contest with two more runs in the top of the third. Six of the seven hits for Rochester in the second inning were singles and Harper Sy capped off the inning with the lone extra-base hit of the day for the visitors – hitting a double down the left field line. In the bottom of the third, with the Yellowjackets leading 9-0, St. Lawrence started to chip away at the deficit with O'Keeffe's line drive, two-run home run that hugged the foul pole to put the Saints on the board. Later in the frame, a double to left field by Montgomery brought Butler into scored to send the Saints into the fourth trailing 9-3. Starter Patrick Greenan took the loss in the nightcap, throwing 2.0 innings and allowing nine runs on nine hits with a pair of strikeouts. He faced two batters in the third before he was relieved by Charlie Pacilio who quieted the Rochester bats and allowed just three hits in four innings of work. He also finished with two strikeouts on the day. The Saints scored another run on an RBI walk issued to Anthony Butler in the bottom of the sixth to pull within five at 9-4, and were threatening to pull within a run with the bases loaded for the heart of the order, but left them loaded to end the inning. St. Lawrence stranded 13 runners in game two, while Rochester left 17 on base. Rochester tacked on two more runs on three hits in the eighth inning to push to the final 11-4 margin.

Clarkson shortstop Caleb Doyle tags out a Plattsburgh runner attempting to steal second base.  Both team exchanged big inning: Plattsburgh scored seven times in the fourth, then Clarkson plated eight runs in the sixth.  SUNY Plattsburgh outslugged Clarkson 14-11 in a non-conference game.  (Bob LaRue photo)