AUBURNDALE, Fla. - The SUNY Poly baseball team took two from the UMPI Owls on Thursday afternoon at the RussMatt Invitational Tournament. The Wildcats won game one 8-0 thanks to some late-game offensive surges. They scored four runs in the sixth and four runs in the seventh. Poly carried the momentum into the second game of the doubleheader, winning game two 8-0 as well. Two Wildcats homered in the second game to help their team improve to 3-6 on the year.
GAME 1
SUNY Poly – 8
UMPI – 0
WP: Aaron Kifer (1-1)
LP: Garrett Chadwick (0-2)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The game was quiet until the top of the sixth inning when SUNY Poly broke the scoreless deadlock. Ethan Walker singled through the left side, driving in Alexander Bonacci for the game's first run. Ryan Pelton then reached first on an error by the shortstop, allowing Paul Barber to score. Ethan Merone would score the inning's third run on a Chris Martin sacrifice fly. Aidan Coykendall reached first on an error by the left fielder, and Ethan Walker scored to cap a four-run inning.
SUNY Poly added four more runs in the top of the seventh inning, thanks to a pair of fielder's choices that allowed runs to score, a two-run double by Ryan Pelton, a wild pitch, and a two-run double by Ryan Pelton.
Aaron Kifer was exceptional on the mound for SUNY Poly, tossing seven scoreless innings and allowing just four hits and one walk while striking out six. Garrett Chadwick took the loss for the Owls after giving up six runs on nine hits over six innings of work.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
- Alexander Bonacci went 3-for-4 for the Wildcats with two runs scored.
- Poly's Paul Barber went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base.
- Ethan Walker went 2-for-4 with a double and a pair of RBI for SUNY Poly. He also scored twice.
- Ryan Pelton had a double, an RBI, and a run scored for the Wildcats.
- Joey Lippo had a pair of hits for UMPI. He went 2-for-3.
GAME 2:
UMPI – 0
SUNY Poly – 8
WP: Carter Romansky (1-1)
LP: Jordan Young (0-1)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
SUNY Poly got on the board early with a three-run second inning and then put up five runs in the fourth inning to seal the victory. Paul Barber and Ethan Walker both hit home runs in the game and combined for five RBIs. Christopher Martin and Ethan Merone each had two hits, and James Lynch drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
On the defensive end, SUNY Poly's pitchers, Carter Romansky and Alex Quig, combined to pitch a shutout. Romansky pitched six innings and allowed only five hits while striking out two batters. Quig came in for the final inning and struck out two batters as well.
For Me.-Presque Isle, Jordan Young was charged with the loss after giving up seven runs, four of which were earned, in 3.2 innings pitched. Spencer Harman pitched the remaining 2.1 innings and allowed one earned run.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
- Paul Barber went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI for SUNY Poly. The home run was his first this season and the fourth of his career.
- Ethan Walker went 1-for-4 with a home run and a pair of RBI for the Wildcats. It was his first career home run in a Wildcat uniform.
- Ethan Merone went 2-for-4 with a run scored for Poly.
- James Lynch drove in a run for the Wildcats with a sac fly in the second inning.
- Timothy Burns had a pair of hits for UMPI. He went 2-for-2.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats will wrap up their trip to Florida with a pair of games against Keuka College on Friday, March 17th. The games are scheduled for 9:45 AM and 12:30 PM at the Northeast Regional Park's Field #4.
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SUNY Poly is New York's globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience programs at its Albany campus, and undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies; professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing; and arts and sciences, including natural sciences, game design, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica campus; thriving athletic, recreational, and cultural programs, events, and activities complement the campus experience. As the world's most advanced, university-driven research enterprise, SUNY Poly boasts billions of dollars in high-tech investments and hundreds of corporate partners since its inception. For information visit www.sunypoly.edu.