Pioneers Advance to AMCC Semifinals with 17-9 Victory

The Alfred State baseball team advanced to the AMCC semifinals for the first time in school history with a convincing 17-9 victory over Penn State Altoona on Tuesday afternoon. The Pioneers won the best of three series 2 games to 1 and will head to #1 La Roche on Friday for the semifinals.

The Pioneers took the lead early and never gave it up. In the 1st, Josh Laurie (LeRoy) delivered a two-run single to right to score Matteo Avallone (Mahopac/Bridgton Academy) and Brody Burdett (Scottsdale, AZ). Altoona got on the board in the 2nd on a two-out RBI single by Grayson McClain to cut the lead in half.

Jack Henby (Hornell) lifted a RBI double to left to start a four-run 2nd inning. Sam Dickerson (Cutchogue) followed with a RBI triple to right center, Burdett hit a RBI single up the middle, and Avallone double to deep left center to make it 6-1.

Timothy Richard singled up the middle for Altoona in the 3rd but once again the Pioneers answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Henby hit a RBI single to left, Dickerson drove in a run on a fielding error, and Burdett delivered another RBI single. 

Jared Ennis, who finished the day with four singles, hit a RBI single and Jake Hillard followed with a two-run double in the 4th but the Lions would never get any closer. In the bottom of the 4th, Laurie scored on a throwing error. Henby hit a two-run double to left, and Dickerson hit a sacrifice fly to right to make it 13-4.

In the 5th, Connor Pingitore (Amsterdam/Broadalbin-Perth) and Tim Holler (Brewster) drew bases loaded walks to make it 15-5.

The scoring slowed down until the 8th when the Lions batted around and scored four runs. Cather Cumming hit a 2-RBI dobule, Richard followed with a RBI double, and Quinten Moslak made it 15-9 with a RBI single to right.

Alfred State answered back with a pair of runs in the 8th when Burdett scored on an error and Pingitore drove home Avallone with a RBI groundout to third.

Burdett finished 3 for 4 with 2 RBI while Henby was 3 for 5 with 4 RBI. Laurie was 2 for 3 with a pair of RBI and Avallone finished 2 for 5 with a RBI. 

Jon White (Clarence) and Chris Catoire (Brooklyn/Fort Hamilton) both tossed four innings for the Pioneers. White went the first four and allowed eight hits and three earned runs while walking two and striking out one. Catoire allowed five hits and four earned runs while walking four and striking out four. Chris Baldwin (Pathogue-Medford) pitched a 1-2-3, 9th inning to close out the contest.

The Pioneers split a doubleheader with La Roche earlier in the season. Alfred State is the lone team to be the Redhawks this season. First pitch of the best of three series is slated for 1 p.m. on Friday afternoon.