Pioneers Fall for First Time in AMCC Play

The Alfred State baseball team suffered their first losses in AMCC play on Saturday. The Pioneers lost a pair of tight contests, 9-6 and 6-5, at Mount Aloysius. 

The Pioneers got started fast in the opener, Brody Burdett (Scottsdale, AZ) and Sam Dickerson (Cutchogue/Mattituck) drew walks to start the game. After a sac bunt by Josh Laurie (LeRoy), Matteo Avallone (Mahopac/Bridgton Academy) followed with a RBI single. After another walk, Connor Pingitore (Amsterdam/Broadalbin-Perth) hit a sac fly.

The Mounties used a big 2nd inning to take the lead for the good. They scored seven runs on four hits and were aided by two walks and two hit pitches. They added two more runs in the 3rd to build the lead to 9-2.

The game remained that score until the 7th when the Pioneers tried to rally. Jack Henby (Hornell), Amaury Samalot (Churchville Chili), and Mike Gibson (Amsterdam) singled to load the bases with no outs. Burdett followed with a two-run single to left. Dickerson drove in a run with a RBI ground out and after a fly out Avallone connected on a double (his second of the game) to cut it to 9-6. With the tying run on deck, Douglas Cannon was able to get the final out to end the game.

Avallone was 3 for 4 with 2 RBI in the contest. Christopher Mattoon (Elmira) kept the Pioneers in the game with four innings of scoreless relief. He allowed three hits and two walks while striking out three.

In the nightcap, the game was scoreless until the 5th when the Pioneers plated three runs. Owen Lansing (Lyncourt/Solvay) hit a solo homer, Dickerson followed with a RBI single, and Ryan Santiago (Staten Island,/HS of Telecommunications) hit a RBI double. 

The Mounties scored a single run in the 6th and another in the 7th to cut it to 3-2. Avallone and Tim Holler (Brewster) made it a three-run advantage again in the 8th with back-to-back RBI doubles.

With two outs in the bottom of the 8th, MAC mounted a comeback. They collected four straight two out hits to tie it. Their fifth hit a single by Joshua Bell gae the Mounties the 6-5 advantage.

Rhett Frazier retired the side in the order in the 9th to close the game.

Santiago was the lone Pioneer with multiple hits finishing 2 for 2 with a pair of walks. Nick Serce (Irondequoit) allowed just two hits until the 8th inning. He walked three and struck out eight in 7.2 innings.

The Pioneers (11-14, 6-2 AMCC) are back on the diamond tomorrow when they host Elmira in a 9-inning contest starting at 3:30 p.m.