Roanoke, VA – The SUNY Brockport Baseball team continued its trip down south for the last two games of the Round Robin Tournament at Salem Memorial Ball Park, hosted by Roanoke College. The men went 2-0 for the day after beating Franklin and Marshall, 8-4, and #15 Marietta, 5-3. The men went 2-1 overall for the long weekend improving to 2-3 on the young season.
Game One – Franklin and Marshall College: The field was quiet until the top of second.
James Houlahan reached first on an error by Franklin and Marshall's short stop. This allowed
Justin Pangburn to advance to second,
Ryan Mansell advanced to third, and
Zach Eldred to come home to score the first run for the Golden Eagles.
In the bottom of the fourth Franklin and Marshall homered to get on the board, tying the score at 1-1.
Brockport had a big seventh inning sending three runners home.
Nicholas Pastore hit the ball down the left field line, for a double to score
Johnny Genau. On a wild pitch, Pastore came home to score and
Brian Tietjen advanced to second to get into scoring position.
Zach Eldred brought home
Brian Tietjen with a single to center field to give the team a 4-1 lead.
Franklin and Marshall brought one man in to score in the bottom of the seventh, making it a 4-2 score.
Tietjen sent the ball into left center in the top of the eight, advancing Pastore to third and allowing both Houlahan and Pangburn to score. The Golden Eagles entered the bottom of the eighth up 6-2.
Franklin and Marshall sent two players home in the bottom of the eighth, cutting the Golden Eagle lead to 6-4 going into the final inning.
In the top of the ninth,
Ryan Mansell advanced to first after a bunt and an error, he then advanced to second on another error.
David Belsito advanced to third and Bigham scored Brockport's 7
th run on the play.
Finishing out the first game of the day, Houlahan hit a sac fly to bring Belsito home for the final score of they game. Brockport got its first win of the 2023 season, 8-4.
Game Two – Marietta College: Brockport was on fire Sunday, snagging its second win down in Virginia. The squad came out swinging with two runs in the first of the matchup against natinoally-ranked Marietta.
Pastore reached first on an error by the second basemen, which allowed Houlahan to make it across home plate. Eldred followed with a single down the right field line, bringing Bigham in to touch home plate. Brockport entered the second inning up 2-0.
Brockport struck again with a big inning in the bottom of the fourth. A wild pitch got runners moving as
Ryan Mansell advanced to second, Tietjen moved to third, and Eldred found a clear path home. Houlahan sent the ball to left center earning himself a single. His hit moved
Jason Mansell to second,
Ryan Mansell to third and bringing Tietjen home.
Johnny Genau continued the inning to put the Golden Eagles on the board for the final time down in Virginia. He brought
Ryan Mansell home with a sacrifice fly to right center. The men went into the fifth up 5-0.
Marietta sprang into action brining one man home in the fifth and two in the seventh, but it was too little too late.
The Golden Eagles will gear up for Spring Break down at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational from Saturday March 11
th to Sunday March 19
th down in Auburndale, Florida.