Pioneers Sweep Season Finale

The Alfred State baseball team swept D'Youville on Tuesday, 16-6 and 8-5, as they closed out the 2017 season. The Pioneers finish the season winners of six of their last eight games.

In the opener, D'Youville took a 3-0 lead in the 2nd inning but the Pioneers responded with four runs in the bottom half and never relinquished the lead. Lucas Cornell (Alfred Almond) hit a solo homer, Collin Johnson (Alfred Almond) scored on a throwing error, Austin Baker (Cansteo Greenwood) collected a RBI single and came around to score when he stole home two batters later.

Cornell hit a RBI double in the 3rd and Pedro Mora (Washington Heights/AP Randolph) followed with a RBI single to right. The Spartans got one run back in the 4th but the Pioneers put the game out of reach with a six-run 4th inning. Cornell collected a RBI single to short, David Zuber (Honeoye Falls Lima) scored on a wild pitch, Johnson hit a 2-RBI double to center, Andy Pichardo (Queens/Academy of American Studies) drove in a run on a grounder, and Thomas Shofi (Carmel) collected a RBI ground out. Mora collected another RBI on a ground out in the 5th to make it 13-4.

After D'Youville cut the lead to 13-6, the Pioneers capped the scoring with a pair of runs in the 6th. Baker scored on a wild pitch and Zuber hit a 2-RBI single to center.

Cornell finished 3 for 3 with 3 RBI to pace the Pioneers 12-hit attack. Mora was 2 for 4 with 2 RBI, Zuber was 2 for 5 with 2 RBI, and Cullen Franz (Cazenovia) was 2 for 4. Rafael Perozo (Bronx/St. Raymond) tossed the final four innings allowing four hits and two runs to earn the victory. Brady Sass (Cal Mum) went the first three innings.

In the nightcap, the Pioneers took advantage of seven Spartan errors. Shofi got the Pioneers on the board in the 1st when he doubled to right field. Mora made it 2-0 in the 2nd when he scored on a passed ball. Three errors in the 4th allowed Jesse Swan (Campbell Savona) and Pichardo to score in the 4th to make it 4-0.

Dylan Haak drove in a run on a groundout in the 5th to get the Spartans on the board but the Pioneers answered back with three more runs in the bottom of the 5th. Shofi scored on a throwing error, Cornell collected a RBI double to left and scored on a throwing error, and Mora was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

D'Youville cut into the lead in the top of the 6th with four runs. Travis Macrides hit a solo homer to left, Khaled Numan-Ali hit a 2-RBI double down the left field line, and Haak had a RBI groundout. Danny Doran (Irondequoit) came out of the pen and recorded the final five outs to record his first save of the year.

Shofi was the lone Pioneer with multiple hits finishing 2 for 3 with a RBI. Alfred State collected seven hits in the nightcap, four were doubles.

Jake Remington (Letchworth) worked the first 5.1 innings to earn the victory on the mound. He allowed eight hits and five runs while walking two and striking out two.

In between games the coaching staff honored seven players, Baker, Franz, Mora, Remington, Sass, Shofi, and Swan, playing in their final game wearing the blue & gold.