Pioneers Can't Rally All the Way Back

The Alfred State basball team fell in an early 4-0 hole and could not rally all the way back as Fredonia defeated the Pioneers 7-3 on Monday afternoon. The Pioneers cut the lead to 4-3 in the 7th and stranded a pair of runners in both the 7th and 8th innings but could not plate the tying run.

Ciro Frontale collected a RBI single in the 1st to get the Blue Devils on the board. In the 2nd, Matt Wilhelm added to the lead with a RBI double and Axexio Medinia made it 4-0 with a 2-RBI single.

The game remained 4-0 until the 7th when the Pioneers got right back in the contest. Austin Baker (Canisteo Greenwood) collected a RBI single and Pedro Mora (Washington Heights/AP Randolph) followed with a two-out 2-RBI single. Jesse Swan (Campbell Savona) hit a double but he along with Mora were stranded when Lucas Shaefer got the final out of the inning.

In the 8th, the Pioneers had runners on 2nd and 3rd again but Shaefer kept the blue & gold off the scoreboard. In the bottom half of the inning, Liam Kelly connected on a bases loaded 3-RBI triple to give the Blue Devils all the insurance runs they would need.

Mora finished 2 for 4 with 2 RBI while Baker was 2 for 4 with a RBI. Frontale, Kelly, and Joshua Crocetti all collected two hits for Fredonia.

Jake Harford the starter and first of five Blue Devil pitchers earned the victory while Schaefer pitched the final 2.1 innings to earn the save.

The Pioneers host Elmira tomorrow afternoon in a 4 p.m. contest. (Please note the game has been pushed back one hour).