The SUNY Oneonta baseball team had its amazing run in the NCAA New York Regional tournament came to a halt today with a 6-5 loss to St. John Fisher College in 11 innings. The game was filled will plenty of drama throughout as both teams played their hearts out in trying to avoid elimination.

Oneonta (31-13), who was making its first ever appearance in the tournament, finished with a record of 3-2 during the double elimination event. They staved off elimination three times on consecutive days to get to day four before seeing its season end with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning.

Trailing 5-4 entering the bottom of the 11th, Fisher’s inning started with a fly out to right field before Phil Pettinella (Batavia/Batavia) hit a solo shot over the right field wall to tie the score at five.

After getting the next batter to strike out, Oneonta pitcher Anthony Bates hit Matt Klock (Grand Island/Grand Island) to put a runner on. Klock then stole second to get into scoring position for leadoff hitter Kevin Wing (Webster/Webster Schroeder). Wing singled up the middle and Klock was sent home by the third base coach where he made it home safely out of the way of the throw home that was up the line.

Oneonta took a 5-4 lead in the top of the 11th inning when pinch runner Ivan Plata scored on a base hit to center field by senior Carmine Caputo. Caputo hit .588 over the five games during the tournament scoring eight runs and walking five times. Caputo and classmate Dan Randall were named to the All-Tournament Team for their performances over the five games.

Oneonta threatened in the top of the 10th inning putting runners at the corners with one out. The inning ended though in dramatic fashion when Fisher threw Mike Center out at the plate to complete a fly out double play to right field. Pettinella got himself into position on the fly out and threw a strike to catcher Leo Fusilli (Penfield/McQuaid Jesuit) to double off Center.

Oneonta struck early with a single run in the first inning. Caputo hit the game’s first pitch into center field and went to second base on a bunt single by sophomore Kevin Knack. Caputo tagged and made it to third base on a fly out to center field by Randall to give the Red Dragons runners at the corners with one out.

Knack took off for second base on a throw over to first base that ended up being a double steal for Oneonta in which Knack was safe at second base while Caputo scored from third base. The inning ended on back-to-back fly outs by Center and Scott Dubben.

A relatively quiet first inning for Oneonta starter Will Rivas as a leadoff single was erased by a caught stealing and the final two outs coming via a foul out to Randall and a ground out to Knack.

Oneonta squandered an opportunity in the top of the second inning when they got the first two batters on to start the inning. Senior Steve Gauck led off the inning with a single to left and was followed by Oneonta’s second bunt single in as many innings by junior Jonathan Wolfanger. Gauck and Wolfanger went no further as three straight outs ended the inning.

The Cardinals broke through in the bottom of the second with a pair of runs to take a 2-1 lead. Fusilli hit a double down the left field line, which was followed by an infield single Teagen Barresi (Lansing/Lansing) to give Fisher runners at the corners with no outs.

The third straight hit of the inning for Fisher was another double down the left field line by Steve Karnyski (Lancaster/Depew) that drove in one run while moving Barresi to third base. Barresi scored on an error by Knack, which allowed Karnyski to get to third base.  Oneonta then turned a 5-4-2 double play that cut down Karnyski at the plate while erasing Pettinella at second. Klock flied out to center field to end the inning.
Knack tripled to lead off the top of the third and scored on an error by Fisher third baseman, Barresi. Randall was picked off first base for the first out of the inning and was followed two fly outs to end the inning.

Fisher wasted no time in regaining its lead with another pair of runs in the home half of the third inning. Wing reached on Knack’s second error of the game. After a failed sacrifice bunt attempt, Jon Gibbs (Pittsford/Pittsford-Sutherland) doubled to right center field to put two in scoring position. Fusilli then popped out to Randall, but a single by Barresi drove in both Wing and Gibbs.

One swing of the bat by Randall tied the game in the top of the seventh as he easily cleared the left field wall with a two-run shot to knot the score back at four apiece. Randall’s home run came with two outs with Caputo on first after drawing a one-out walk.  Randall finished the tournament with 10 runs batted in including eight during Oneonta’s three wins.

Today’s loss overshadowed a tremendous relief performance by sophomore Josh Herzenberg, who entered the game in the bottom of the third inning and pitched through the 10th inning. Over his 7-1/3 innings of relief, he allowed only five hits and collected six strike outs.

Knack and Dubben led the team with three hits apiece as Oneonta had 15 hits in the game.

Oneonta: Will Rivas, Josh Herzenberg (3), Anthony Bates (11, 4-6) and Bryan Marotta
SJF: Adam Pettinella, Geoff Martone (7), Aaron Benton (11, 3-0) and Leo Fusilli