Pioneers Sweep - Winning Streak Now at Four

The Alfred State baseball team ran their winning streak to four games as they swept a pair of games on day three of the Florida portion of their spring trip. They rallied to defeat Plymouth State (NH) 12-10 and then won a tight 6-5 contest vs. Lasell (MA). The blue & gold are now 5-5 on the year.

Both teams got things going early in the opener. The Panthers collected four hits and plated two runs in the top half of the innings before the Pioneers answered with four of their own. Josh Laurie (LeRoy) collected a RBI single, Connor Pingitore (Amsterdam/Broadalbin-Perth) scored on a balk, and Colin Johnson (Alfred Almond) capped the inning with a line drive single that plated a pair.

Plymouth State regained the lead with five runs in the 3rd and two more in 4th to take the 9-4 lead. The Pioneers battled back to tie it with three in the 4th and two in the 5th. In the 4th, Tim Holler (Brewster) drove a run on a fielders choice, Andy Pichardo (Queens/Academy of American Studies) scored on a wild pitch, and Danny Doran (Irondequoit) delivered a RBI singe. The Pioneers tied it in the 5th when Johnson's sac bunt was thrown over the first basemen's head allowing Brody Burdett (Scottsdale, AZ) and Jack Henby (Hornell) to score.

A sac fly in the 7th gave the Panthers a 10-9 lead but the Pioneers retook the lead in the bottom of the inning when Johnson sent a moon shot, a three-run homer, over the left field fence to make it 12-10.

Johnson was the lone Pioneer with multiple hits finishing 2 for 2 with 5 RBI. Alfred State drew five walks and were hit by four pitches.

Jarrod Deaton (Newburgh Free) allowed just one hit while striking out a pair in 2.2 innings of work to earn the win on the mound. He entered the game with the bases loaded and one out in the 7th and held the Panthers to just a sac fly. James Bilcik (Nanuet) kept the Pioneers in the game with 3.2 innings of relief work. He allowed two earned runs on one hit.

In the nightcap, Lasell took advantage of an error in the 1st and took the early lead. The Pioneers answered with four of their own in the 2nd. Pichardo connected on a bases loaded double to center, Mike Gibson (Schenectady) drove a run in on a groundout, and Henby lifted a sac fly to center. The Lasers cut the lead to 4-3 with a pair of runs in the 3rd.

After getting out of a bases loaded jam in the 4th, the Pioneers added to their lead with a pair in the bottom half of the inning. Pingitore drove in a run on a fielding error and Laurie followed with a RBI single.

Lasell didn't go away as they scored single runs in the 5th and 8th innings. Ryan Demitrovic (Churchville) had a big strikeout with the bases loaded in 7th and Deaton came out of the pen in the 8th and got out of jam by getting the final two outs of the inning.

Pichardo was 2 for 2 (pair of doubles) with 2 RBI to lead the Pioneers. Nick Geyer (Newburgh Free) and Dan Woodward (Honeoye) were each 2 for 4. Alfred State collected 11 hits in the contest.

Adam Wray (Portville) came out of the bullpen and earned the victory. He allowed one run on five hits in 3.2 innings of work. Deaton added to his win in the opener by recording the final five outs to pick up the save.

The Pioneers wrap up the Ft. Myers portion of their spring break trip with a 9 a.m. contest with the Coast Guard Academy.