Late Rally Falls Short

The Alfred State baseball team put together a rally in the 9th but fell short as Lancaster Bible College won a 4-2 decision in the Pioneers first game of their 2017 spring trip in Myrtle Beach, SC.

The Chargers started fast scoring three runs in the 1st inning. Will Welsh had a RBI double off the right field fence and Adam Cohick followed that up with a two-RBI single up the middle.

From that point on Zach Leonard and Brady Sass (Cal Mum) put zeros on the board. Leonard didn't let up an Alfred State hit until the 5th inning and Sass didn't allow another hit after the 1st inning until the 7th inning.

Michael Hill added an insurance run for Lancaster Bible when he ended Sass' night with a RBI double to left field.

The Pioneers finally got to Leonard in the 9th. Robert Cardona (Harlem/All Hallows) led the inning off with a single and Cullen Franz (Cazenovia) sent a 3-0 pitch over the right field fence to cut the Charger lead in half. The homer was the 3rd of the season for Franz.

Gabe Yoder came out of the bullpen and surrendered a single to Austin Baker (Canisteo Greenwood) and walked David Zuber (Honeoye Falls Lima) before striking out the next three batters to seal the win and earn the save.

Leonard allowed five hits and two runs in eight innings of work while walking one and striking out eight. Sass went 7.2 allowing five hits and three earned runs while walking three and striking out two. No one on either team finished with multiple hits.

The contest was played in unseasonable cold weather for South Carolina. First pitch temperartures were in the mid 30's.

The Pioneers are back in action tomorrow evening when they battle Albertus Magnus in a 6 p.m. doubleheader at the Ripken Experience.