BEREA, Ohio – The College at Brockport baseball team traveled to Ohio on Saturday and played two highly contested games that came down to the wire, including an extra inning affair. The Golden Eagles won the first game of the double header 3-1 in 10 innings, before fighting to hold a 5-3 victory in game number two.
The two wins move the Green and Gold to 3-1 on the year, while the Yellow Jackets drop to 0-2 as they start the season.
Game One: Win, Brockport 3 – Baldwin Wallace 1
Neither team got their offense rolling in the first two innings as no runner got further then second base. The opposition got on the board first, scoring their only run in the third inning on a sacrifice fly to right field. From there, State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) pitcher of the week,
Trevor McCarthy and teammate
Chris Cramer teamed up for a tremendous ten inning performance to give their offense a chance to score a run.
The Brockport bats were quiet in the first seven innings, collecting only three hits, but
Tom Kretzler came through in the top of the eighth, rocketing a ball out of the park for a solo homerun. The game remained tied after nine innings, but the Golden Eagle offense came alive in the tenth.
Nicholas Pastore reached on a fielder's choice before Kretzler singled through the left side to put two runners on base.
Lou Miceli then came to the plate and hit a clutch, two RBI double to right field to give the team a 3-1 lead that was sealed by Cramer in a 1-2-3 bottom of the inning.
Miceli, Kretzler and
Anthony Eaton all tallied two hits, while Miceli and Kretzler combined to drive in the three runs.
Game Two: Win, Brockport 5 – Baldwin Wallace 3
The second game of the day saw more offense from both sides. The first run was scored by Brockport's Eaton, who led off the inning with a walk and stolen base before being brought around by a
Daniel DelGaizo ground ball. The 1-0 lead held until the fourth inning, when the Yellow Jackets were able to plate a run and tie the game. After going down 2-1, the Golden Eagle offense came to life late, starting in the eighth inning.
Brad Nowak tied the score at 2-2 after doubling to left field and scoring the speedy
Jason Hellwig who checked into the game as a pinch runner.
The top of the ninth witnessed a trio of Green and Gold cross home plate to increase the advantage to 5-2. The runs both came off mishaps by the opposition, but Brockport took advantage of the mistake. The first was an error by the right fielder on a hard hit ball by Kretzler that scored
Charlie Serino and Delgaizo. One batter later a wild pitch brought Kretzler home from third to count as the fifth run. Despite a stressful ninth inning, the team held on to a 5-3 victory.
Alex Brown had a strong start, going 5 and a third innings, striking out five, while allowing five hits and a two runs.
Cooper Meldrim was the first arm out of the bull pen and pitch a no-hit 1 and a third innings, fanning two batters.
Brandon Greenspan was the pitcher credited with the win after coming in in the seventh inning to pitch 1 and a third innings of no-hit ball as well.
Ryan Greco had his number called upon in the ninth and struck out two batters en-route to his first save of the season.
Up next for Brockport is a trip to Annandale-On-Hudon, N.Y. where they will take on Bard College and Mt. St. Mary's College on Sunday, Mar. 3 in a double-header set to start at 11 a.m.
Be sure to stay up to date on all your Golden Eagle news, scores, and awards by following @BportAthletics on Twitter and by liking the "Brockport Golden Eagles" Facebook page.
