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The nationally-ranked Oswego State baseball team earned a thrilling 8-7 extra-inning victory in its season-opener at Virginia Wesleyan University on Saturday afternoon. Oswego – ranked No. 11 in the D3baseball.com poll and No. 15 by Collegiate Baseball magazine – is now 1-0 while the Marlins fall to 5-3.
Senior Robert Donnelly started and finished the most important inning for the Lakers, singling through the left side with one out in the top of the 10th. Classmate Zach Whelan followed with a single of his own to push Donnelly just 90-feet away. A sacrifice fly to left field by junior-transfer Brandon Nicholson proved to be the difference as he plated Donnelly to make it 8-7.
Matt Bowman did his part to pick up the win on the mound. Another transfer-junior, Bowman tossed a perfect three innings in relief, including three swinging strikeouts in the bottom of the 10th to earn his first triumph in a Laker uniform. Bowman also induced four fly outs and a ground out.
Oswego struck first on Saturday with a run in the second frame. Virginia Wesleyan posted its only advantage of the day at 2-1 with a pair of scores in the bottom of the fourth. The Lakers responded right away with four runs in the next half inning. Oswego surrendered two in the same frame to lead 5-4 before the trading two runs in the sixth with three for the Marlins to knot the tilt at 7-7. Both squads went cold for the next three innings before Oswego broke through in the 10th.
Mike Dellicarri led all players with three runs batted in on the day, going 2-for-6 while also scoring twice. Both of the junior's hits were of the extra-base variety, first with a double to drive in a run before knocking a two-run jack.
Eli Holton had the Lakers' other two-hit performance, slapping two singles in four at-bats. The senior came around the bases twice on the afternoon and drove in another. Nicholson, Donnelly, Whelan, Lukas Olsson, Cole Tracy and Josh Hoagland each finished with a single to their stat line. Olsson, Whelan and Myles Kutscher were all able to reach base once apiece by virtue of a walk.
Prior to Bowman on the mound, Reston Pettit claimed the start, throwing 5.1 innings with two strikeouts. The senior allowed six hits and just one base on balls but the Marlins were able to cash those into five earned runs. Brad Wroblewski tossed two-thirds of a frame that went for two Virginia Wesleyan runs before Mike Abrams threw a solid seventh inning, allowing just two base knocks and no further damage on the scoreboard.
Oswego will return to the diamond right away with a doubleheader on Sunday. The Lakers will face Susquehanna University at 11 a.m. at Christopher Newport University before competing against the Captains of host CNU at 2 p.m.
