Canton Sweeps Alfred State

SUNY Canton scored five runs in the 8th inning of the nightcap to complete a sweep of Alfred State on Saturday afternoon. The Kangaroos won the opener 3-1 and then won 9-5 in the nightcap.

The opener was scoreless until the 4th inning when Chris Roenbeck doubled home the games first run following a Pioneer error. The Kangaroos made it 3-0 with two runs in the 5th. The first run was plated following another error and the second scored following a Seth Douglas single.

Alfred State cut it to 3-1 in the bottom of the 5th when Dylan Lewis-Ellison (Whitesville) drove in Jordyn Confer (Tioga, PA). Confer had doubled to lead off the inning. The Pioneers threatened for more but stranded the bases loaded. 

The Pioneers left two runners on base in the 6th and had the tying run at bat in the 7th but could not muster any more offense.

Confer was the lone Pioneer with multiple hits finishing 2 for 3 while Connor Odonoghue (Avon) allowed just one earned run and four hits in seven innings but suffered the loss.

Travis Bigelow pitched the first five innings to earn the win for Canton while John Mancini tossed the final two to pick up the save. Canton was held to four hits including doubles by Roenbeck and Chris Jones.

Canton jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the 1st inning of the nightcap when Seth Douglas hit a three-run homer. A throwing error in the 2nd, a Jordan Wheaton (Wayland Cohocton) single in the 3rd, and a safety squeeze by Michael English (Livonia) in the 3rd tied it up for the Pioners.

Alfred State took their only lead of the day in the 4th when Pedro Mora (Manhattan/AP Randolph) scored after a Kangaroo fielding error. In the top of the 5th, Wilson Matos tied it up with a solo shot.

The blue & gold had a great shot to take the lead in the 6th. The Pioneers loaded the bases with no outs before Dom Deliberti came out of the bullpen and induced three straight pop ups to keep the game knotted up at 4-4.

In the 8th, Canton took over the contest by stringing together six hits that resulted in five Kangaroo runs. Matos had a key two RBI double. Cullen Franz (Cazenovia) singled home a run in the bottom of the 8th for the Pioneers but the Pioneers left the bases loaded when Mancini recorded the final out.

Wheaton finished the day 2 for 5 for Alfred State while Matos was 3 for 5 with 3 RBI for Canton. Canton outhit the Pioneers 12 to 9 in the contest.

Alfred State and Canton continue their four-game series on Sunday. First pitch of the doubleheader is at Noon.