UTICA, N.Y. - The SUNY Poly baseball team earned a pair of wins on Saturday afternoon over North Atlantic Conference (NAC) foe SUNY Canton. The Wildcats got great pitching, great defensive play, and timely hitting to earn the two wins. The wins give the Wildcats a 2-1 advantage in the five-game series. SUNY Poly improved to 9-18 with a 2-6 record in NAC play.

GAME ONE:

SUNY Canton – 2

SUNY Poly – 4

WP: Aaron Kifer (3-2)

LP: Kieran Gibson (0-4)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The game started off in SUNY Poly's favor as Don Vento scored the first run of the game in the first inning on a Carter Romansky RBI single through the right side.

In the third inning, Alexander Bonacci singled to left field, allowing Vento to cross home plate once again to make it a 2-0 game. Ethan Merone added two more runs when he hit a two-run homer to left field to give his team a 4-0 lead. It was his first career home run.

SUNY Canton responded in the fourth inning with a pair of runs to cut the lead in half. Nathan Welch crossed home plate following a Nick Barone single down the right-field line. Ty Reed then hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Dylan Allen.

Despite SUNY Canton's attempts to catch up, SUNY Poly's pitching remained solid throughout the game. Pitcher Aaron Kifer earned the complete game win for SUNY Poly. He allowed eight hits and two runs while striking out two in seven innings. Kieran Gibson took the loss for SUNY Canton. He allowed 11 hits and four runs in 5.1 innings pitched.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• Ethan Merone had a monster game for the Wildcats. The freshman went 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBI, a home run, a pair of singles, and a run scored.
• Don Vento had a pair of hits in two at-bats for the Wildcats. He scored twice for Poly and had two stolen bases.
• Christopher Martin went 2-for-3 for SUNY Poly.
• Alexander Bonacci and Carter Romansky both went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Bonacci also had a stolen base.
• Paul Barber and Manuel Santiago each had a double for Poly.
• Alphonse Fuca was the lone Roo with a multi-hit game. He went 2-for-3.
• Nick Berone and Ty Reed each had an RBI for Canton.
• Derek Maldonado had the lone extra-base hit for the Kangaroos.

GAME TWO:

SUNY Canton – 4

SUNY Poly – 7

WP: Jack Montanye (3-3)

LP: Anthony Bocchino (0-3)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Wildcats came out strong in the first inning, scoring six runs with a combination of hits and errors by the SUNY Canton defense. James Lynch scored the first run of the game on a first-and-third play. Don Vento stole second cleanly, but the throw from the catcher was late. It got away from the shortstop and went into center field allowing Lynch to score and Vento to advance to third. Alexander Bonacci then doubled down the left field line, scoring Don Vento from third. Carter Romansky, Ethan Merone, Manuel Santiago, and Raymond Strauser also contributed hits and RBIs during the inning to give the Wildcats a 6-0 lead.

SUNY Canton made a pitching change, going to Michael Sandarr who was great for the Roos. He shut the Wildcats down for nearly five innings, allowing his team to work their way back into contention.

The Roos started to chip away at the lead in the third inning, scoring one run on a solo home run by Derek Maldonado.

In the fourth, Canton scored two more runs on an RBI single by Ty Reed, and an RBI single by Edilberto Rosado.

In the sixth, Canton scored on a sacrifice fly to make it a two-run game, but Alexander Bonacci hit an RBI double in the bottom of the frame to bring the Wildcat lead back to three, where it ended.

Jack Montanye started on the mound for SUNY Poly. He pitched a complete game, allowing four runs on six hits and five walks. He struck out five en route to his third win of the season. SUNY Canton's starter, Anthony Bocchino, struggled in the first inning, giving up six runs on seven hits, and was replaced after just one-third of an inning. The Canton Relievers, Michael Sandarr, and Donald Cordova were solid, limiting the damage after the tough start. They combined to allow just one run in the final six innings.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• Don Vento went 1-for-3 for the Wildcats with a walk, two runs scored, and a stolen base.
• Alexander Bonacci went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI for Poly.
• SUNY Poly's Carter Romansky went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
• Ethan Merone went 1-for-4 for Poly with a run scored and an RBI.
• Manuel Santiago went 1-for-1 with two walks, a run scored, and an RBI for SUNY Poly.
• Dylan Allen went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored for Canton.
• Derek Maldonado hit a solo home run for the Kangaroos.
• Ty Reed had two RBIs, including a sacrifice fly for SUNY Canton.
• Edilberto Rosado went 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI for the Roos.

UP NEXT:

The Wildcats will travel north on Tuesday, April 18th for a doubleheader to wrap up the NAC series with SUNY Canton. Game one is scheduled for a 12:00 PM first pitch with game two to follow.

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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.