FORT MYERS, Fla. – A ninth-inning rally by both teams led to a Southern Vermont College emotional roller coaster of a 10-9 loss to Knox College Thursday at the Ft. Myers Player Development Complex in the Gene Cusic Classic.
Prairie Fire senior right fielder Caleb Weaver (Galesburg, Ill.) hit a blooper to right in the bottom of the ninth for the game-winning run to cross the plate for KC.
Knox moves to 3-1 on the season while Southern Vermont falls to 3-5.
The Prairie Fire didn't take long to grab a lead as the bottom of the first saw senior left fielder Matt Lee (Fullerton, Calif.) lead off with a single and then steal second to get into scoring position. With two outs, Weaver knocked Lee in with a grounder up the middle and Knox found itself up 1-0 after one.
Despite a walk and a hit batter, KC senior starting right hander Ryan Stoens (Bartonville, Ill.) threw well through the first three, not allowing a single Mountaineer hit. SVC kept Prairie Fire senior shortstop Kyle Walenga (San Francisco, Calif.) busy as he recorded four assists through that stretch, two in both the second and third.
Knox added another in the bottom of the third when it made the most of a plunked junior Jackson White (Grayslake, Ill.). He stole second and moved to third on a passed ball, then promptly scored on a single by junior first baseman Erik Smoy (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) for the Prairie Fire to go up 2-0.
The Mountaineers would not only get their first hit off Stoens in the following half inning but take the lead with a four-run top of the fourth. Sophomore right fielder Roland Hernandez (Pico Rivera, Calif.) led off the inning with a single past the third baseman into left. He moved up and around to third with two Stoens wild pitches, and Hernandez then scored when Mountaineer designated hitter Corey Armstrong (Bennington, Vt.) hit one to Walenga who was playing back. SVC then worked the bases loaded and tried to squeeze in another run, but a batter's interference call sent all the runners back to their previous base as Mountaineer senior catcher Corey D. Briggs (Wood River, R.I.) was retired. A walk to sophomore left fielder Jarod Hayen (Esperance, N.Y.) brought in sophomore first baseman Cody LaBadia (Howes Caves, N.Y.) as Stoens' day came to a close. Senior Dave Northup (Richmond, R.I.) pinch hit and brought in freshman third baseman Quinten Scott (Ashaway, R.I.) and sophomore shortstop Chris Nicastro (Cranford, N..J.) for the Mountaineers to go ahead 4-2.
That lead would be cut down in the bottom half of the inning when Lee knocked a sacrifice fly out to center allowing junior designated hitter Michael O'Connell (Park Ridge, Ill.), who had gotten on by getting plunked, to tag up and score from third to make it 4-3.
The Prairie Fire came back with two more in the bottom of the fifth to regain the lead, starting with a White lead-off single and then a costly Mountaineer error. Knox attempted to sacrifice White over, however the SVC throw to first went into right field allowing him to round the bases and score to go ahead 5-4.
Knox would not hold the lead for long as SVC responded in the top of the sixth with three runs. Nicastro got things going with a single to right and then moved with a Scott sacrifice bunt. After Nicastro advanced to third while Hayen reached on an error, Northup singled to left for another RBI. Northup took second to put two in scoring position for Mountaineer freshman second baseman RJ Pingitore (Amsterdam, N.Y.). Pingitore skied one to right center, creating problems for the Prairie Fire outfielders. As the ball got lost in the bright sun, neither the center nor right fielder were able to locate it and the ball fell in to allow Hayen and Northup to score as Southern Vermont went up 7-5.
Again, Knox would instantly respond, scoring two in the bottom of the sixth. Lee walked to begin the inning, and a botched throw on a sacrifice fly put runners on second and third. White hit a dribbler back to the mound that allowed Lee to score. Walenga then came around to score on a Smoy single to right to even things at 7-7.
Following a scoreless seventh, Knox put itself in the driver's seat by scoring in the bottom of the eighth, started by a White lead-off double to left. After being moved to third by a Weaver fly-out to center field, White scored on a double by senior catcher Ryan Hoffman (Sugar Grove, Ill.).
Southern Vermont would not go down easily, however, fighting back to take the lead in the ninth. With one out, Pingitore ripped one up the middle to get a duck on the pond. Freshman Dan Bergami (Schenectady, N.Y.) came in to run, and run he did as a Hernandez shot to left gave Bergami the chance to round the rest and come in for the tying tally. A hard-hit liner by Armstrong off the glove of the Knox second baseman pushed Hernandez to third, and Knox then brought in junior reliever Dustin Armstrong (Cincinnati, Ohio) to try and close out the inning. Mountaineer senior second-base replacement Dillon Desiderato (Burlington, Conn.) pushed the safety squeeze down towards first and then avoided the tag to reach safely as Hernandez took off and scored the go-ahead run.
With Mountaineer senior closer Joel DeFedele (North Kingstown, R.I.) on the hill, Knox junior pinch hitter Phil Tallman (Park Ridge, Ill.) singled to left and then stole second. After a DeFedele strikeout, Lee singled to right as Tallman moved up to third. Lee swiped second to put the winning run in scoring position. Walenga grounded out to short, but it was enough to allow Tallman to score and make it a 9-9 ballgame. Lee moved down to third on a wild pitch and then came in for the game-winner on a Texas-leaguer hit by Weaver just over first base.
Armstrong is credited with the win (1-0) for Knox, and DeFedele takes his first loss on the season (1-1).
Northup was 2-3 with three RBIs and a run scored while Nicastro finished 2-4 with two runs. Pingitore, Hernandez, and Armstrong all went 2-5 on the day with Pingitore and Hernandez each recording two RBIs while Armstrong added another; Hernandez also had two runs scored.
Smoy was 3-5 in the game with three runs batted in while Lee, White, and Hoffman were each 2-4 with a walk. Lee and White scored three runs apiece and knocked one in, and Weaver finished 2-5 with two RBIs and a run scored.
The Mountaineers conclude their spring trip to Ft. Myers Friday with a 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. doubleheader against Lasell College, and the Prairie Fire continued the Florida stay with a Thursday afternoon game against Lawrence University.