Pioneers Sweep Altoona to Open up AMCC Play

Alfred State played solid all around baseball as they opened up AMCC play with a doubleheader sweep of Penn State Altoona on Saturday afternoon. The Pioneers took the opener 6-4 and completed the sweep with a 3-1 victory.

Altoona got on the board three batters into the game when Jared Ennis hit a sac fly to center to score Hunter Breon who had led the game off with a single.

Two pitches into the bottom half of the inning, the Pioneers took the lead back. Connor Pingitore (Amsterdam/Broadalbin-Perth) led off with a single and Justin LoTemple (Greece Athena) followed with a two-run homer to left.

The game remained 2-1 until the 5th when LoTemple lifted a sac fly to center to score Mike Gibson (Schenectady) who led off the inning with a infield single.

The Lions put together a rally in the 6th when Ennis hit a two-RBI double to left field to tie and Jake Hillard followed with a RBI single to give PSA a 4-3 advantage. Christopher Mattoon (Elmira) came out of the bullpen with runners on 2nd and 3rd and no out and kept the game at 4-3 to set up the Pioneers winning rally in the bottom of the inning.

Matteo Avallone (Mahopac/Bridgton Academy) singled to lead off, Nick Serce (Irondequoit) reached on a fielder's choice, and Jack Henby (Hornell) loaded the bases with a bunt single down the 3rd base line. Ryan Santiago (Staten Island/HS of Telecommunications) then delivered a two-RBI single to left to give the blue & gold back the lead for good. Two batters later, Pingitore legged out an infield single that allowed Henby to score.

The Lions put a pair of runners on base in the 7th with two outs but could not plate a run as Mattoon induced a fly ball to center to end the game.

Pingitore and Avallone were each 2 for 3 in the opener. Mattoon allowed two hits and no earned runs in two innings of work to earn the win out of the bullpen. AJ Gartland (Irondequoit) went the first five innings allowing six hits and four runs while walking two and striking out one.

In the nightcap, Gibson got Alfred State on the board first in the 2nd inning when he hit a single to center to score Santiago. In the 3rd, Henby hit a perfectly place double to right to score Avallone to double the lead.

Richard Carey drove in Catcher Cumming with a RBI ground out in the 4th to plate the lone of the game for the Lions. The Lions did leave runners on 2nd and 3rd in that inning.

Henby collected RBI hit in the 5th, a single to left, to make it 3-1.

The combination of Jon White (Clarence) and Mattoon made it 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. 

The Lions did put a pair of runners on base with one out in the 9th but Mattoon was able to shut the door.

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.

The Pioneers are back in action on Tuesday when they head to Dunn Field to take on Elmira.