QUINTIN JAMES
Special to The Leader
The Fredonia Baseball team was coming off a 1-1 week and looking at four huge SUNYAC conference games against good competition. With a road game against Brockport and three games against New Paltz at home, the Blue Devils had a golden opportunity to get ahead in the standings and get closer to a .500 winning percentage.
The Blue Devils went 3-1 on the week and looked well prepared and ready for SUNYAC play. They started with a game against Brockport on the road, where they came out on top 7-6 in a tightly contented game which saw the Blue Devils finally win a one run game. The Blue Devils were up 7-0 before Brockport scored six unanswered runs to cut the lead to one before junior Jake Horford closed the game out for his second save of the year.
Junior Zach Jordan started and pitched seven innings, only giving up one run in his fourth win of the season. The Blue Devils started the scoring streak in the second inning when they scored four runs that set the tone early on. Junior Quinn Danahy lined a single scoring the first run, freshman Bailey Gautheir had a RBI single, senior Ryan Carmody had a RBI on a fielder’s choice and the Devils scored on an error in the outfield. Brockport cut the Fredonia lead to one in the ninth, but, with the tying runner on first, Horford closed the game out.
The next game on the schedule was against New Paltz, who the Devils would play another two times within 24 hours. Due to unfavorable conditions on Ludwig Field, Fredonia and New Paltz traveled up the I-90 to North Collins High School to use their artificial turf field.
The Blue Devils continued their offensive outbursts with 15 hits and mustered seven runs as they came from behind and beat New Paltz 7-3. They scored six unanswered runs to win. Junior Dan Cecilia started the scoring with an infield single in the second inning.
Steve Sturm started the game and went six innings allowing three runs on nine hits, striking out three and walking only one. Senior Joe DiLeo came in and got the save, throwing three scoreless innings, striking out four. Cecilia and senior Ricky Mendiola had three hits apiece. Fredonia improves to 3-2 in SUNYAC conference play.
The Blue Devils were back at it the next day as they played a double header against SUNY New Paltz. Fredonia split the two games, winning the first game in a tight one run game 6-5. The second game was a slugfest, in which the Devils fell 12-10.
The first game was a showing Blue Devils had turned a corner and could compete in one run games. Down 5-2 in the seventh and final inning, the Blue Devils scored four runs to win the game and avoid a bad loss in the first half of the double header. Junior Kyle Sherman scored the tying run on a fielder’s choice, and sophomore Liam Kelly drove in the winning run to complete the comeback. Horford started the game for the Devils and went six innings allowing three runs on seven hits.
The second game saw the Blue Devils in a major slugfest in which they came out on the short hand of the stick. The Devils had 15 hits, including five doubles, and 10 runs, but still lost the game. Jordan lost his first game of the season, as he was shelled in the game. Danahy had four hits, and four other Blue Devil players had three hits, as well.
Even though they lost the last game, the Blue Devils still finished the week with a 9-10 overall record and 4-3 in the SUNYAC conference. The schedule is only getting tougher with number two ranked SUNYAC powerhouse Cortland coming up; so next week the Blue Devils will be put to the test in SUNYAC play.