Offense Struggles in Home Opener

The Alfred State baseball team was held to just seven hits as they fell 3-2 and 7-2 to Penn State DuBois in the 2016 home opener. 

In the opener, the Pioneers scored single runs in the 1st and 2nd innings to grab the early lead. Michael English (Livonia) scored in the 1st when Cullen Franz (Cazenovia) grounded into a double play and Dan Woodward (Honeoye) lifted a sac fly in the 2nd to score Nicholas Padley (Buffalo/Sweet Home).

Pioneer starter Connor Odonoghue (Avon) made that lead stick through the first six innings. Heading into the 7th, Odonoghue had retired 11 straight Lion hitters. In the 7th, Dan Bowman led off with a double and scored on a RBI single by Caleb Bennett. With one and runners at 2nd and 3rd, the Pioneers committed a costly error after a missed squeeze attempt that allowed both the tying and winning runs to score.

The Pioneers put the tying run on base in the 7th but were unable to tie the game. Bowman earned the victory on the mound for DuBois (6 IP, three hits, 2 ER, 4 walks, and 1 strikeout) while Clayton Butler recorded the final three outs for the save.

Odonoghue allowed six hits and two earned runs in seven innings for the Pioneers. He walked three and struck out four. Thomas Shofi (Carmel) collected the lone extra base hit for Alfred State, a 4th inning double.

The Lions scored three runs in the 2nd inning and never surrendered the lead. The Pioneers cut the lead to 3-2 behind RBI singles by Padley and Woodward in their half of the 2nd but could not plate anythings else the rest of the way. DuBois added singe runs in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 7th inning to add insurance.

Austin Amacher tossed the first four innings for DuBois to earn the victory. Amacher and two relievers allowed just four hits and three walks while striking out five. Brandon Gettig led the offense with a 1 for 4, 3 RBI day.

The Pioneers have a week off before hosting Pitt-Bradford on Saturday for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.