Frontale nets pair of game winners
Ciro Frontale (Syracuse/Bishop Ludden) drove in the game's only run in a 1-0, extra-inning victory in Game 1, before knocking in a pair in the top of the sixth to break a 5-all tie as the Devils claimed a 7-6 victory in Game 2, sweeping SUNY Farmingdale on Tuesday.
Game 1
Game one required one extra inning before Frontale walked it off. It was the second time this season Frontale drove in the winning run in a 1-0 victory, the first vs. Muhlenburg.
Senior Zach Lyman (Belmont/Genesee Valley) tossed a gem as he threw seven scoreless innings, struck out two, and held Farmingdale to five hits. Luke Kuczewski (Orchard Park/Orchard Park) took over the eighth inning and retired the side in order to get the win.
The winning run was set up when Joshua Crocetti (Rochester, N.Y./Hilton) lined a triple with one out. Liam Kelly (Buffalo/Bishop Timon) was intentionally walked to put the double-play in order for the Rams.Frontale roped a single to right field, scoring Crocetti. Frontale went 2-for-4 at the plate. Crocetti was 2-for-3.
Game 2
Farmingdale jumped out early, scoring five runs in the second inning to take a 5-0 lead. Sophomore Noah West (Macedon/Palmyra Macedon) took the mound and tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings while the Blue Devil bats went to work.
In the third inning with two outs, freshman Kole Brink (Frewsburg/Frewsburg) drew a walk and was later batted in by Frontale to break the seal in Game 2. Junior Derek Fie (Corning/Corning East) led off the top of the fifth with a single and Brink drew his second walk of the day. A balk preceded a sacrifice fly by Frontale. Steve Zaprowski (Williamsville/Williamsville South) then smoked a ball off the Rams' second baseman to score Brink.
Up 5-3, Farmingdale had runners on first and second base in the bottom half of the inning but were unable to score.
The Blue Devils scored four runs on three hits in the sixth. Senior Alexio Medina (Marilla/Iroquois) was hit by a pitch and Jon Morrison (Macedon/Palmyra Macedon) singled. After a runner was picked off, junior transfer Daniel Goodbread (Tully/Tully) was also hit by a pitch and Kevin Yirinec (Fairport/Fairport) stroked a pinch-hit single to load the bases. Walks to Fie and Kelly and a two-run single by Frontale gave the Blue Devils a 7-5 lead.
The Rams cut Fredonia's lead to 7-6 in the last of the seventh before Zaprowski came on a relief and induced a game-ending double play. It was his first save of the season.
Fie went 1-for-2, scored two runs, and made a pair of defensive gems. Frontale added two more hits and finished the day with 4 RBI.
The Blue Devils (7-4) are back in action Wednesday against RIT. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m. at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale, Fla.
