COBLESKILL, N.Y. - On Saturday afternoon the SUNY Polytechnic Wildcats and the SUNY Cobleskill Fighting Tigers renewed a rivalry that has played a major role in recent North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) North Division championship races over the past several season. In their first meeting of the 2015 season it was the host Fighting Tigers coming out on top sweeping the Wildcats by scores of 10-7 and 11-3 at Fighting Tiger Park. With the sweep division leading Cobleskill improved to 8-1 overall with a 4-0 mark in NEAC play with the Wildcats falling to 2-9 overall and 0-2 in league action.
In the opener the Fighting Tigers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when junior pitcher Erin Wadsworth, Valatie, N.Y. Ichabod Crane High School, belted a laser-like two-run homer to left center driving in sophomore right fielder Erika Gogis, Pattersonville, N.Y., Schalmont High School, who had been hit by a pitch to reach base.
The Wildcats responded in full force in the top of the second inning capitalizing on a pair of Cobleskill errors and a passed ball to post five unearned runs highlighted by a two-out two run double off the bat of senior third baseman Krista Pristera, New Hartford, N.Y., New Hartford High School, which made it 5-2 in favor of the visitors.
Not to be outdone the Fighting Tigers rallied for three runs in the bottom of the frame to tie the game at 5-5 on a bases loaded fielder's choice by freshman first baseman Morgan Nichols, Syracuse, N.Y., West Genesee High School, driving in sophomore center fielder Gabriella Barilli, Bellerose, N.Y., St. Francis High School, who beat a throw to home plate to tally the run.
The game stood knotted at 5-5 until the bottom of the fourth inning when Morgan Nichols broke the game open with a towering three-run home run to right center field followed by a solo shot off the bat of Erin Wadsworth which game the home team a 9-5 advantage from which they never looked back.
The Nichols/Wadsworth connection provided the offense for Cobleskill as Nichols went 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBI while Wadsworth was 3-for-4 with three RBI in the win. Wadsworth also recorded the victory on the hill overcoming some spotty defense by the Orange & Black to go the full seven innings allowing only one earned run while striking out seven and walking only two to improve to 2-1 overall on the year.
The visitors were led on offense by Krista Pristera who went 2-for-4 in the game including a double, a run scored and three RBI.
Wildcat junior right hander Fallon Reinold, Holland Patent, N.Y., Holland Patent High School, took the loss for allowing seven earned runs in four innings of work while striking out six hitters and walking only one.
The nightcap saw Cobleskill holding a 1-0 lead heading into the top of the third inning when Fallon Reinold stepped to the plate and connected with fastball from Morgan Nichols which easily cleared the centerfield fence to make the score 1-1. Reinold finished the afternoon going 2-for-3 in the contest with the homer, her first of the year, and a RBI.
With the scored tied 1-1 the Fighting Tigers unleashed a powerful attack scoring five times in the bottom of the third as Erin Wadsworth singled home a pair of runs with sophomore left fielder Easton Murray, Greenwich, N.Y., Greenwich High School, doubling home two runs as the home team moved ahead 6-1.
SUNY Poly responded in the top of the fourth inning scoring a pair of runs on a RBI groundout by junior catcher Abigail Coyne, Niskayuna, N.Y., Niskayuna High School, and a run scoring single from junior first baseman Erika Charbonneau, Boonville, N.Y., Adirondack High School, which made it 6-3.
In the bottom of the fourth, Cobleskill put the game out of reach taking advantage of a pair of Wildcat defensive miscues to score five runs highlighted by a RBI double off the bat of freshman shortstop Angela Fix, Livingston, N.Y., Germantown High School.
The Fighting Tigers pitcher Morgan Nichols posted the victory allowed only two earned runs in five innings striking out seven and walking only one to improve to 4-0 overall on the season while Wildcats senior Abigail Ashmore, New Hartford, N.Y., New Hartford High School, took the loss to fall to 1-4 overall on the year.
Cobleskill will next be in action on Wednesday April 15 when they host the Wildcats of Cazenovia College for a NEAC doubleheader beginning at 3:00 p.m. while SUNY Polytechnic will next be in action on Monday April 13 when they travel to Clinton, N.Y. to face the Continentals of Hamilton College in non-league action beginning at 3:30 p.m.
Release courtesy of Mitch Tomaszkiewicz of SUNY Cobleskill