AUBURNDALE, Fla. - March 8, 2009 – The Colby-Sawyer baseball team picked up their first win of the 2009 campaign as they split a doubleheader with SUNY-IT underneath the bright sun of Auburndale, Fla. at Lake Myrtle Park. In game one, the Wildcats got the best of the Chargers 5-2, but Colby-Sawyer came from behind and won in nine innings, 4-3, in game two.
Senior Tom White (Lisbon, N.H.) and junior Jarrett Lowe (Sudbury, Mass.) combined to go 5 for 7 at the plate, while freshman Ryan Gillan (Alton, N.H.) raised some eyebrows with an impressive game two performance from the mound.
In game one, the Chargers jumped out to a 2-0 lead after White smacked his first homerun of the season. The Wildcats tied the score in the bottom of the second inning with a run on a bases-loaded walk and another one on a bases-loaded hit by pitch. SUNY-IT took the lead for good in the third as Jake Squillace (Amsterdam, N.Y.) roped a RBI double scoring Vinny Brescia (Utica, N.Y.) with the go-ahead run.
The Chargers were unable to figure out the pitching combination of Brian Weigel (Oriskany, N.Y.) and Patrick Baker (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.), as they were only able to collect five hits led by Lowe and White. Weigel pitched 4.1 innings, scattering four hits and striking out three. Baker came to shutout the Chargers over the final 2.2 innings, only surrendering one hit.
Junior Carter Malpass (Plymouth, Mass.) battled through 4.1 innings as he gave up five runs on seven hits. Freshman Matt Rosa (Manchester, N.H.) came in relief of Malpass and held the Wildcats scoreless over his 1.2 innings of work.
In game two, the Chargers came back from a 3-1 deficit in the seventh, eventually coming out with the 4-3 walk-off victory in the ninth inning. With the team facing defeat, the troops rallied to light up a two spot on the scoreboard as senior Chris Geata (Lynn, Mass.) and sophomore Matt Corvo (Stratton Mountain, Vt.) both collected RBI's, sending the game into extra frames.
In the bottom of the ninth, freshman Ryan Lawless stroked a double down the left field line in his first career at-bat for the Chargers. Sophomore Mike Bertuccio (Millstone Township, N.J.) was next in line and dropped a perfect sacrifice bunt, but a throwing error resulted in Lawless crossing the plate for the game-winning run. Ryan Gillan pitched 8.2 masterful innings, as he mixed his arsenal of pitches keeping the SUNY-IT batters off-balance throughout the game. Gillian only gave up six hits and was one out away from pitching the complete game. With his pitch count rising and the game-winning run reaching on a base hit, Coach Broughton pulled Gillan to a roaring ovation. Freshman Greg Doucette (Ipswich, Mass.) finished the inning, and earned his first career collegiate win.
Chris Fratini (Syracuse, N.Y.) and Anthony Surber (Dix Hills, N.Y.) each went 2-4 at the dish for the Wildcats. Today marked the first games of the season for SUNY-IT.
Colby-Sawyer is now 1-3 on their Florida trip, and will take on Albion in a nine inning contest, on Monday, March 9. First pitch is scheduled for 9:30 am.
