Split leaves Devils in second
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Baseball
BROCKPORT, N.Y. -- Fredonia State's bid to end up as regular-season SUNYAC champs fell one game short following a doubleheader split Saturday with the Brockport Golden Eagles.
The Blue Devils (23-7, 8-4 SUNYAC) won the first game, 9-4, only to drop the nightcap, 9-8, when the Golden Eagles rallied for four runs in the last of the eighth. Had the Blue Devils hung on for the win, they would have earned the No. 1 seed and hosted the SUNYAC Tournament next weekend. Instead, Cortland will be the tourney host. The Red Dragons split a doubleheader Saturday with Plattsburgh and retained their one-game lead over the Blue Devils.
In the opener, Donnie Kirsch (Cowlesville/Attica) went 5 for 5 and figured in the scoring as the Blue Devils broke a 4-4 tie with two runs in the sixth. Kirsch had an RBI single and later scored on a steal of home while a teammate was caught in a rundown between first and second.
A two-run single by Mark Majka (Depew/St. Francis) and a two-run double by Taylor Gahagen (Amherst/Williamsville North) were the key blows during a four-run eighth inning. Meanwhile, Bryan Bongiovanni (Fredonia) added three hits to Fredonia State's 18-hit attack and Jordan Basile (Jamestown) doubled for his 140th hit -- two off the school record.
Justin Nowak (Cheektowaga/Maryvale) was the winning pitcher with five innings of work as the Blue Devil starter. Tom Hausler (Williamsville/Williamsville East) picked up the save. He pitched four innings and allowed one run on four hits.
In the nightcap, the Blue Devils took an 8-5 lead into the last of the eighth behind starter Ricky Carlson (Frewsburg). Brockport rallied in the last of the eighth to saddle Andy Dlugosz (Lackawanna/Timon-St. Jude) with the setback.
Basile collected three more hits to become Fredonia State's most prolific hitter. His 143 career hits surpasses Matt Clark's 142 hits over four seasons (2000-03). Josh Greco (Lockport), Rob Herrmann (Trumansburg), and Majka also had two hits apiece in the nightcap.
The Blue Devils close out the home portion of their regular season Sunday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader vs. Bethany.