The Plattsburgh State baseball team had a disappointing weekend after winning one out of three games in its series against the Oneonta Red Dragons.
The Cardinals face Elmira College tomorrow at noon for game one of a doubleheader in Elmira. The team has never faced Elmira before, so tomorrow’s game should be a new experience for both the players and staff this season.
Games from Wednesday and Thursday against St. Lawrence and Saint Michael’s College were canceled, giving the team ample time to have a full practice on their home field for only the second time this year.
Game one of the Oneonta series saw 12 hits from PSUC while the Red Dragons hit seven.
The Cards’ head coach Kris Doorey says senior pitcher Matt Fox “pitched a great game for us.”
Fox pitched an ERA of three in 6.2 innings pitched, only letting the Dragons score three runs and giving the Cards a win for the game 7-3.
Two runs in the third inning and four in the fourth gave PSUC a cushion for the rest of the game.
Sophomore Erik Matz and senior Rocco Cipriano led the game with two RBIs each. Matz grounded out to third base in the third and then singled up the middle field in the fourth. Cipriano singled to left center in the fourth inning, earning him both of his RBIs for the game. Anthony Maag, Jon Craft, Simon Alvarez and Stephen Bryant scored the rest of the games for the season to give PSUC the win.
Doorey said that in game two of the series, the starting pitcher for the Red Dragons was really good and the Cards “didn’t make adjustments at the plate, allowing the Dragons to overtake them 0-6.
Game three “was a heartbreaker for us,” Doorey said.
Alvarez and Cipriano scored the two runs for the Cards in the fourth inning. Sophomore pitcher Matthew Triola did a great job on the mound, pitching an ERA of three in six innings pitched.
PSUC has a pretty strong pitching staff, with Triola and freshman Joe Mazzariello showing some potential for the rest of the season, Doorey said.
“We’re looking for them to provide some leadership,” Doorey said.
Even though the players may be disappointed about the games over the weekend, they are still hopeful for the games coming up tomorrow and for the rest of the semester, Doorey said.
“We still control our own destiny going forward with the series with Fredonia and New Paltz, so if we find a way to win five out of six [games] we will make the playoffs,” he said.
The series with Fredonia will start on April 19, and New Paltz will start on the 27; both series being played at Chip Cummings Field.
With the team having eight seniors leave the team in May, these last three weeks will be the last of their college baseball careers. Doorey gave some advice, saying,
“Play as hard as you can and be satisfied at the end of the year that you did everything you possibly could to help Plattsburgh State Baseball.”
