Pioneers Sweep Spartans Behind Late Inning Rally

The Alfred State baseball team rallied twice in their last at bat to take a 5-4 victory in their opener vs. D'Youville and then defeated the Spartans 6-3 to complete the sweep of the AMCC doubleheader played at St. Bonaventure. The Pioneers are now 10-15 overall and 5-3 in AMCC.

In the opener, the Spartans took a 3-0 lead on a RBI single by Patrick Mulligan in the 2nd and a 2-RBI single by Travis Macrides in the 3rd. The Pioneers cut into the lead when Nick Geyer (Newburgh Free Academy) collected a RBI double in the 6th. With two outs in the 7th, the Pioneers tied the game when Danny Doran (Irondequoit) lifted a two-run homer over the left field fence to tie the game. The homer was the 4th of the season for Doran. 

D'Youville quickly grabbed back the lead in extra innings. Nick Ivanoff connected on a triple to lead-off the 8th and scored on a sac fly by Mulligan. In the bottom of the 8th, the blue & gold were forced to rally once again. Geyer hit a RBI single down the right field line to score David Zuber (Honeoye Falls Lima). Zuber had collected a one-out double. Benjamin Reid (Williamson) followed with a bloop single and Dan Woodward (Honeoye) drew a walk to load the bases. After a Spartan pitching change, Ryan Santiago (Staten Island/HS of Telecommunications) put down a perfect squeeze bunt single to score Jonathan Yacono (Red Jacket) to win the game.

Geyer and Brody Burdett (Scottsdale, AZ) both finished 2 for 3 for the Pioneers. Jake Miller (Bethlehem, PA) earned the victory with four innings of two hit relief. He allowed one run, walked two, and struck out two.

Macrides led the Spartans with a 2 for 4, 2 RBI day.

Josh Laurie (Le Roy) broke a scoreless tie in the nightcap when he lifted his first collegiate homer over the left field in the 3rd inning to give the blue & gold a lead they would never give up in the night cap. Later in the inning Colin Johnson (Alfred Almond) and Woodward collected RBI singles to make it 3-0. Mulligan collected a RBI fielders choice in the 4th to cut the lead to 3-1.

In the 6th, Mike Gibson (Schenectady) scored on a throwing error after stealing third base and Zuber followed with a 2-RBI triple to left center to make it 6-1. The Spartans didn't go away and scored two runs on a pair of bases loaded walks in the 7th to cut the lead to 6-3. With two outs and the bases loaded Jarrod Deaton (Newburgh Free Academy) came out of the bullpen and enduced a game ending pop fly to seal the victory.

Zuber finished 2 for 3 with 2 RBI to lead the offense while Garrett Mack (Avon) earned the win with five solid innings of two hit work. He allowed one unearned run, walked two, and struck out two. 

Justin Brackna was 2 for 3 with a RBI for the Spartans (2-12, 0-6 AMCC).

With the sweep the Pioneers have equaled their win from the 2017 season.

The Pioneers will head to Keuka College tomorrow afternoon for a 3:30 p.m. contest with the Wolves.