AUBURNDALE, FLA. – The Brockport baseball team (9-5, 2-0) started conference play with a pair of wins Friday afternoon, defeating Plattsburgh in both ends of the doubleheader.
Jason Hellwig picked up the win in the opener, throwing the final two innings, while
Sam McCumiskey went the distance in game two, earning his fourth win of the season.
Game 1: W, 6-4
The opening game against Plattsburgh marked the start of SUNYAC play with an exclamation point, as the Golden Eagles used a late rally to overcome a three run deficit.
Austin Spindler got the start on the bump in this contest, pitching seven innings while allowing four runs, two of which were earned. Hellwig came in and allowed just one hit in the two innings he threw, while striking out a Cardinal batter.
With Plattsburgh leading 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth,
Avery Brooks hit a one out double to put himself in scoring position.
Paul Ludden was up next, and hit a line drive single over the head of the shortstop where the centerfielder scooped and fired to the plate. As the catcher was receiving the throw, Brooks collided with him, knocking the ball loose and allowing him to score - for the time-being.
After a discussion from the umpires, it was determined Brooks had initiated contact, and he was called out and ejected from the contest. Six other Golden Eagles were also ejected after clearing the bench.
Though the ejections were a blow to the lineup, Brockport used that play as a rallying point, and erupted for six runs in the next three innings.
Anthony Eaton got them on the board first, salvaging the sixth by singling up the middle to drive in Ludden.
Drew DeBlasiis provided the offensive spark in the seventh, launching his first career homerun deep over the right field wall – a two run shot that pulled Brockport to within one at 4-3. After Hellwig shut the Cardinal hitters down in the top of the eighth, the offense tacked on three more in the bottom half to take their first lead of the game.
A hit batsman, walk, and infield single loaded the bases with nobody out in the inning and
Luke Gilbert at the plate. A wild pitch allowed the tying run to score, before Gilbert knocked a single up the middle to score two more, putting the Golden Eagles on top.
Hellwig came in and shut the door on any comeback attempt from Plattsburgh, sending them down in order in the top of the ninth to earn his first win of the season.
Game 2: W, 6-2
Sam McCumiskey was nearly un-hittable for Brockport in game two, going all seven innings while allowing just two runs on four hits. He's now started in four of Brockport's nine wins this season.
Five different Golden Eagles had RBI's in this contest, led by
Tom Kretzler who ripped a two-RBI double late, one of his two doubles in the game. Eaton had another RBI in this contest, a single to left field that drove in Kretzler to tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the third.
Justin LaRosa got in the action in the fourth, going the other way to drive a double down the right field line and give Brockport a lead, which they would end up holding on to. Four runs in the sixth capped off by a
Paul Ludden RBI single gave them a 6-1 lead heading into the final inning.
Plattsburgh was able to scratch one more across in the top of the seventh, but it was to no avail, as McCumiskey got Jon Craft to line out to second, ending the ballgame.
The Golden Eagles will look to complete the sweep of Plattsburgh tomorrow at 12:45 before making the trip back to snowy Brockport.
Be sure to stay up to date on all of your Golden Eagle scores and awards by following @BportAthletics on Twitter and by liking the "Brockport Golden Eagles" Facebook page.
