CORTLAND, N.Y. – The SUNY Poly baseball team beat Keuka College on Saturday afternoon in extra innings 9-8 at Gutchess Lumber Park. The Wildcats made a come-from-behind effort to take a late-inning lead, but Keuka answered with one in the top of the 7th inning to force the game into extra innings. In the 8th, Keuka took a one-run lead, but the Wildcats scored twice in the bottom of the frame to earn the walk-off win. SUNY Poly is now 5-1 this season.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Keuka jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after scoring one in the first inning on a Derek Novicki RBI triple. They extended their lead to three on a pair of RBI walks with the bases loaded in the fourth inning.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Wildcats got on the board on an RBI walk by Parker Wing. Poly scored again on what would ultimately become a triple play by the Keuka Wolves to make it 3-2 through four.

Derek Novicki hit a three-run homer for Keuka in the top of the fifth to extend the Wolves lead to 6-2. The Wildcats again answered in the bottom of the frame with a two-RBI single by Brody Liddy and a wild pitch to cut the lead to one.

In the sixth, SUNY Poly tied the game at six when Carter Romansky hit an RBI double to left field to score Parker Wing. Two batters later, the Wildcats would take their first lead of the game just two batters leader when Ethan Merone lined a single to right field to score Nate Shimko.

In the top of the seventh, Keuka tied the game with two outs when Mike Dutch walked with the bases loaded to send the game into extra innings.

In extras, Keuka struck first when Carlos Fantauzzi tripled to center field to score Kyle Wood.

Trailing by one in the final frame, the Wildcats got a huge clutch solo homerun by pinch hitter Quinn Hill to tie up the game. The next batter Ethan Walker walked and advanced on a passed ball, prompting a pinch runner to be brought into the game. After a strikeout to bring the game to its final out, Anthony Ventiere hit a ground ball to short, but a throwing error took the first baseman off of the bag allowing Lukasz Dubicki to score the game-winning run.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

· Quinn Hill hit his first collegiate home run to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth inning.

· Brody Liddy went 1-4 in the game with a pair of RBIs.

· Ethan Merone went 2-4 with an RBI and a walk.

· Ryan Pelton went 2-5 in the game.

· Connor Marcello earned his first win of the season on the mound. He allowed one unearned run and struck out two batters.

· Andrew Soule had a solid appearance on the mound for the Wildcats. He threw two innings in relief, allowed three unearned runs, and struck out two batters.

UP NEXT:

The Wildcats will travel to Boston for a three-game North Atlantic Conference weekend at Eastern Nazarene College.