Miscues Cost Pioneers

The Alfred State baseball team couldn't overcome their miscues as they dropped a doubleheader vs. Denison on Saturday afternoon in games played at Bob Wren Stadium on the campus of Ohio University. The Big Red took the opener 5-3 and the nightcap 7-2.

The Big Red got a pair of runs in the 1st inning of the opener before the Pioneers tied the game in the 3rd with a pair of their own. Danny Doran (Irondequoit) and Josh Laurie (LeRoy) both collected two-out RBI singles. Denison retook the lead in the 3rd on a sac fly and added another run in the 5th after taking advantage of a Pioneer error. Nick Geyer (Newburgh Free) cut the lead to one, 4-3, in the 6th with a RBI double but the Pioneers couldn't get any closer. A bases loaded walk in the 7th added an insurance run for Denison. The Pioneers sent the tying run to the plate in the 9th with two outs before Mikey Rivera recorded the final out. 

The Pioneers collected just four hits including doubles by Geyer and Jack Henby (Hornell). Only two of the Big Red runs were earned because of seven Alfred State errors. 

Colin Johnson (Alfred Almond) gave Alfred State a 1-0 lead in game two in the 3rd inning. The game remained 1-0 until the Big Red scored three in the 5th after an error. They added three more unearned runs in the 6th and an insurance run in the 7th to build their lead to 7-1. Brody Burdett (Scottsdale) connected on a solo homer in the 8th to account for the final run of the contest.

A quartet of Big Red pitchers held the Pioneer bats to just two hits. Burdett homered and a single by Laurie. Four errors and seven walks slowed down the Pioneers.

The Pioneers are back in action next Friday when they begin a three-game series at Southern Virginia as they begin their spring break trip. The Pioneers and Knights play game one of the series at 3:30 p.m. on Friday.