Big Blue Report: March 29th Edition

At the current time, no fans will be allowed at the home games. Please consult the visiting team to see what restrictions they may have (PA schools are now allowing fans at some venues). Please use the video link to check out the action.

Make sure to follow www.alfredstateathletics.com and the athletic department social media sites @ascathletics on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest news on Pioneer athletics.

Baseball: 3-8, 2-0 AMCC

The baseball team split four games this past week. They fell 4-3 to Houghton and 7-6 to Ithaca but opened up AMCC play by sweeping Penn State Altoona 6-4 and 3-1.

Versus Houghton, Christopher Mattoon (Elmira) was impressive in his first collegiate start. He tossed 7.2 innings allowing four hits and three earned runs while walking two and striking out seven. The Pioneers collected only four singles in the game but drew eight walks and were hit by two pitches. The team trailed 4-1 heading into the 9th and had the bases loaded when they final out was recorded.

At Ithaca, the Pioneers and Bombers played a three hour thirty-eight minute contest featured five lead changes, 13 pitchers, 19 hits, and 12 walks. Ithaca hit a solo homer in the 8th to break a 6-6 tie and earn the win. The Pioneers had 10 hits on the game from 10 different players. Josh Laurie (LeRoy) was the lone Pioneer with RBI finishing with two.

Justin LoTemple (Greece Athena) hit a two-run homer and added a sac fly to help the Pioneers build a 3-1 advantage in game one vs. Altoona. The Lions rallied and took the lead 4-3 before Ryan Santiago (Staten Island) hit a two run single in the 6th and Connor Pingitore (Amsterdam) legged out a RBI infield single to make it 6-4. Mattoon allowed two hits and no earned runs in two innings of work to earn the win out of the bullpen. He entered the game with runners on 2nd and 3rd and kept the score at 4-3. Pingitore and Mateo Avallone (Mahopac) were each 2 for 3 in the opener. 

In the nightcap, Mike Gibson (Schenectady) collected a RBI single in the 2nd and Jack Henby (Hornell) hit a RBI double in the 3rd. Altoona cut the lead in half in the 4th before Henby added an insurance run with a RBI single in the 5th. Jon White (Clarence) and Mattoon made the three runs stand. White allowed five hits and one unearned run in six innings of work to earn the win. He walked three and struck out nine. Mattoon threw the final three innings to earn his first save. He allowed three hits and struck out a pair. LoTemple finished 3 for 5, Henby was 2 for 4 with 2 RBI, Gibson was 2 for 4 with a RBI, and Avallone was 2 for 4.

Men's Cross Country: 2nd at AMCC Championships

Gavin Bathgate (East Rochester) won the individual title as the men's cross country team finished 2nd at the AMCC Championships. The race was the first for the team since November 2019 and was held just outside of Pittsburgh, PA.

Bathgate won by just over seven seconds. He crossed the 5k course in 18:29.06 to claim the title. Last school year (November 2019), Bathgate finished 10th overall in the AMCC Championship.

Ryan Lohr (West Seneca) was 4th (19:12.84), Cameron Chambers (East Rochester) was 8th (20:22.23), Cooper Buckley (Wellsville) was 9th (20:31.50), and Brian Clark (Bethpage) rounded out the top five with a 10th place finish (20:48.45). Nikolas DiDomenico (Fairport) finished 15th (22:14.76), Aiden Bonomo (Manalapan) was 21st (23:25.76), and Jeff Jijy (New Hyde Park) was 22nd (23:28.86).

Penn State Behrend won the team title with a score of 23 followed by the Pioneers with 32. La Roche was 3rd with 82 and Hilbert was 4th with 103. In total 34 student-athletes took on the course representing five different AMCC schools.

Women's Cross Country: 2nd at AMCC Invitational

The women's cross country competed for the first time since November 2019 and finished 2nd at the AMCC Invitational hosted by La Roche (Pittsburgh, PA).

Katie Watkins (Addison) was the top Pioneer finisher. She crossed the finish line of the 5k course in 26:04.02 for a 4th place finish. Sarah Rivet (Waterford/Shenendehowa) was 5th (26:06.63) and Laura Ferris (Victor/Mercy) was 6th (26:06.63). Isabelle Popoff (Cicero North Syracuse) was 9th overall (29:24.14) and Summer Kier (East Rochester) rounded out the top five for the blue & gold with a 10th place finish (29:50.06). Anna Hersom (Byron Bergen) also competed and finished 14th (31:16.92).

Penn State Behrend took the team title with a score of 23 while the Pioneers scored 32 in the competition that featured athletes from five different schools.

Men's Basketball: 1-3 in exhibition games

The Pioneers wrapped up their exhibition season with a pair of games. They fell 75-64 to Medaille and 93-66 to SUNY Canton.

Softball: 2-4, 0-2 AMCC

The softball team were 0-4 this past week. They fell 5-1 and 12-0 to Pitt Bradford in a non-conference DH and then opened up AMCC play at Altoona falling 5-4 and 14-6.

Kailey Wonica (Staten Island) was 2 for 3 with a double and Jade Parsons (Ovid) drove in the lone run vs. Bradford in the opener while Sarah Boyce (Cortland) was the lone Pioneer with multiple hits in the nightcap, finishing 2 for 3.

Wonica continued the hot bat at Altoona. She was 3 for 4 with a double and two runs scored in the opener while Krista Lovell (Addison) was 2 for 3 with two RBI. Boyce finished 2 for 4. The Pioneers held the lead 4-3 heading into 7th but the Lions rallied for two and the victory.

In the nightcap, the Lions jumped out to an early 4-0 lead with a four-run 1st inning before the Pioneers rallied right back to tie it in the 2nd. After a run in the 2nd made it 5-4, Lovell hit a two-run double to give Alfred State the 6-5 advantage. Penn State Altoona took over from there and secured the victory with a pair of runs in the 4th, three more in the 5th, and four in the 6th. Wonica and Lovell both finished 2 for 3 with a pair of RBI while Angela Martone (Candor) also finished 2 for 3.

Men's Swimming & Diving: 1-1

The men's swimming team competed in their home pool for the first time and earned a 145-38 victory over Roberts Wesleyan. The blue & gold won 9 of the 12 events competed.

Westin Perry (Canisteo Greenwood) won the 100 back in 55.40 and the 50 free in 23.96. He was also 2nd in the 100 free (51.24). Stuart Yates (Naples) won the 100 breast in 1:01.73 and the 50 breast in 28.42 while Jack Friedah (York, PA) won the 50 back in 27.20 and the 100 fly (58.80). Micah Schwartz (Ithaca) won the 50 fly in 26.35 and Riley Hoyt (Tulsa, OK) won the 200 IM in 2:18.80

The 200 medley relay team of Friedah, Anthony Kahwaty (Jefferson Township, NJ), Patrick Roberts (East Aurora), and Alexander Semchenko (Fulton) won in 1:47.67 while the 200 free relay team of Yates, Collin Vimislik, Schwartz, and Tyler Gemza (Eden) finished 2nd in 1:36.89.

Women's Swimming & Diving: 0-2

Mikaela Snayczuk (Machias/Pioneer) won both of her events to lead the women's swimming team as they competed vs. Roberts Wesleyan. The Redhawks won the dual meet 137-24.

Snayczuk won the 100 breast in 1:12.46 and the 100 fly in 1:05.87 while Lily Holmes (Liverpool) was 3rd in the 50 free (36.88) and 3rd in the 100 free (1:19.44).

Track & Field:

The track & field team has shifted their focus to the upcoming outdoor season. They are slated to begin competition outdoors on April 9th.