Pioneers and Lions Split - Deciding Game Tomorrow

Alfred State and Penn State Altoona split a doubleheader in the quarterfinals of the AMCC Tournament. In games played at Monroe CC in Rochester, the Pioneers took the opener 8-1 while the Lions rallied in the 9th to take the nightcap 7-6.

Key to the Pioneers victory in the opener was the extra base hit. In the contest, Alfred State collected seven doubles.

Tim Holler (Brewster) led off the game with a single and Sam Dickerson (Cutchogue/Mattituck) followed with a double before Brody Burdett (Scottsdale, AZ) hit a sac fly to give Alfred State the early lead. In the 3rd, Burdett hit a two-out double and Matteo Avallone (Mahopac/Bridgton Academy) followed with a RBI double down the left field line.

Three more RBI doubles in the 4th built the Alfred State lead to 6-0. Owen Lansing (Lyncourt/Solvay) collected a RBI double down the left field line, Mike Gibson (Schnectady) followed with a two-RBI double, and Dickerson capped the inning with his second double of the game to left to score Holler.

Altoona got a RBI single by Kyle Glass in the 5th but would never get any closer. Dickerson's third double of the day plated two in the 6th and put the game out of reach.

Dickerson finished 3 for 4 with 3 RBI while Holler was 3 for 4 with three runs scored. Josh Laurie (LeRoy) wsa 2 for 2.

AJ Gartland (Irondequoit) got the victory with 5.2 innings of work. He allowed just the one run (seven hits) while walking three and striking out six. Chris Baldwin (Patchogue-Medford) came out of the pen and got the final four outs.

In the nightcap, Dickerson gave the Pioneers a 2-0 lead in the 1st inning when he lifted a two-run homer to left center. Altoona tied it in the 3rd with a pair of runs but the Pioneers bounced back with a run in the bottom of the inning when Burdett scored on a wild pitch.

Catcher Cumming tied it at 3-3 in the 5th with a RBI groundout but Avallone answered right back with a solo homer to center in the bottom of the inning. Laurie made it 5-3 a few batters later with a RBI double to left center. 

The game remained 5-3 until the 8th when both teams were able to score a single run. Jake Hillard collected a RBI double for Altoona and Holler answered with a RBI double of his own in the bottom of the inning.

Altoona put together a rally in the 9th. 

Kyle Glass and Jared Ennis singled to lead off the inning. After a Pioneer pitching change, Cumming hit a single to left to continue the inning. His single was misplayed and went all the way to the fence and allowed both pinch runner Tyler Manger and Ennis to score to tie it. After a strikeout, Timothy Richard delivered a double to center to plate the eventual winning run. 

Sam Homan came out of the bullpen for the Lions and Avallone greeted him with a double to center. Homan then was able to record a strikeout and two pop outs to end the game and earn the save.

Avallone had a big game as he finished 4 for 5 with a RBI. He had two doubles to go along with his solo homer. The Pioneers finished game two with seven more extra base hits.

With the split a deciding game three of the quarterfinal series will be played tomorrow at Alfred State. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. The winner of this deciding game will travel to LaRoche on Thursday for a semifinal match-up with the Redhawks.