It took 10 innings for the Oswego State baseball team (8-3, 1-0 SUNYAC) to hand Brockport (9-4, 0-1 SUNYAC) a 9-4 loss in the first conference game for each squad in Florida. After the Golden Eagles forced the game into extra frames by scoring a run in the ninth, the Lakers mounted a six-run rally with two outs in the tenth and hung on for the victory.
Game two was suspended due to rain, and will resume at 10 a.m., Sunday,March 23.
The Lakers found themselves down early after Brockport tallied one run in each of the first two innings off of Oswego State starter Dan Erne (Sr., Rochester, N.Y.). Both offenses remained stagnant until Mike Stark (Sr., Rochester, N.Y.) scored on a groundout to second base by Tim Smith (Jr., Auburn, N.Y.) in the sixth inning, putting the Lakers on the scoreboard.
Oswego State tallied two more runs in the seventh, as Michael Mascari (Jr., Syracuse, N.Y.) singled to right field on a 1-0 pitch plating Jordan Giller (Fr., Toronto, Ontario) and Stark singled, bringing home Mike McMullen (Jr., Syracuse, N.Y.).
Brockport evened the score at three in the ninth inning, forcing the game into extra innings where both teams' bats exploded. Brian Hamilton (So., Liverpool, N.Y.) got the Lakers started in the 10th with a solo shot to left field on a 3-1 pitch with two outs. A few batters later, McMullen singled up the middle scoring Giller before Stark highlighted the inning by hitting a first-pitch grand slam, putting the Lakers ahead, 9-3. The Golden Eagles put together a three-run bottom half of the tenth, but came up short in a 9-6 defeat.
Erne pitched a solid nine innings for the Lakers in the no-decision, scattering six hits and four strikeouts, while allowing three runs, two of which were earned. Adam Bishop (Sr., Camillus, N.Y.) improved to 3-0 on the season after Pat Brown (Jr., Liverpool, N.Y.) picked up the save in relief for the Oswego State.
Brockport carried its momentum from the end of game one into its first at-bat in the nightcap. Extra-base hits by Kyle Tracy and Nick Bunce led to two runs as the Golden Eagles took at 2-0 lead.
Jordan Giller and Michael Mascari led off the second inning with consecutive singles before moving into scoring position after a successful sacrifice bunt. Mike McMullen delivered a single up the middle to drive in both players to tie the game.
Oswego State grabbed the lead in the next frame after Scott Buniak and Mike Stark reached base with no outs and into scoring position following a wild pitch when Smith advanced both runners. Giller ripped a single through the left side of the infield to bring Stark home, as the Lakers took a 4-2 lead.
Tyler Baker (Jr., Hannibal, N.Y.) started a two-out, three-run rally in the sixth inning for Oswego State when he reached on an error. Andrew Lazzaro (Sr., Oswego, N.Y.) then reached after another Brockport miscue followed by a Dan Karleski (Jr., Syracuse, N.Y.) walk to load the bases. Buniak drew another walk to score Baker, while Stark continued his big day when he threaded a single through the left side to plate Lazzaro and Karleski and put Oswego State ahead 7-2.
However, Brockport was not finished, as it added another run in the bottom half of the sixth, closing the deficit for the Golden Eagles to four runs. Brockport extended the rally into its final at-bat, the Golden Eagles plated two more runs to cut the deficit two runs at 7-5 with the bases loaded and one out. That was when Mother Nature decided to step in with rain, suspending the game until 10 a.m. tomorrow followed by another nine-inning game.
Laker starter James McKenna (Jr., Bohemia, N.Y.) worked 5.1 innings, giving up three earned runs on nine hits. Brockport starter Matthew Coleman surrendered six runs over 5.2 innings.
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