FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Southern Vermont College baseball team finished its spring trip to Florida with a heart-breaking 8-7 walk-off loss to the hands of Knox College at the Player Development Complex Friday morning.
Up 7-3 going into the bottom of the ninth, SVC gave up two runs before KC pinch-hitting sophomore Blake Newberg (Moline, Ill.) hit a ball to deep right field, just far enough to clear the bases and bring around the game-winning run.
The win improves Knox's record to 4-3 while the loss ends the Mountaineer's stay in Florida with a 3-7 mark, dropping them to 5-8 on the season.
Neither team scored more than one run in any inning until the Prairie Fire ninth tacked up five. Southern Vt. totaled 12 hits to KC's eight while the teams left 13 and seven runners on base, respectively. The Mountaineers were aggressive on the base paths, stealing a total of eight bags on the day.
SVC sophomore third baseman Quinten Scott (Ashaway, R.I.) was 3-5 at the dish with an RBI and two steals while junior first baseman Cody LaBadia (Howes Cave, N.Y.) also went 3-5 with two stolen bases, scoring a run in the effort. Junior captain Sal Sciara (Massapequa, N.Y.) got on base five times out of the lead-off spot, going 1-2 while working three walks and getting hit by a pitch; he scored two runs, knocked in another and swiped two bases against KC.
No Prairie Fire batter recorded multiple hits, and freshman shortstop Paul Sanders (Rock Island, Ill.) was the only Knox batter to score twice. Sophomore left fielder Geoff Hahn (Cameron, Ill.) was 1-2 with a walk, a run batted in and a stolen base from the lead-off position, and junior center fielder Michael Bohnhoff (Omaha, Neb.) was 1-3 with a walk and a run scored.
Sophomore southpaw Erik Johansen (Rosendale, N.Y.) threw well for the Mountaineers, but he took the no-decision when SVC surrendered the lead after he was taken out. The left-hander gave up three runs, just one earned, on three hits and six walks while striking out five. Knox reliever Dustin Armstrong (Columbus, Ohio) was credited with the win after pitching the ninth to pick up his first victory of the season (1-0) from the hill. Southern Vt. freshman reliever Joshua Hay (South Glens Falls, N.Y.) suffered the loss (2-1) after blowing the save opportunity.
Sciara wasted no time getting into scoring position for the Mountaineers to start the top of the first, taking the first pitch in his side before swiping second with no outs. Sophomore second baseman Richard Rios (Pico Rivera, Calif.) grounded over to third where KC sophomore Austin Bevenue (Millstadt, Ill.) looked back Sciara before firing to first, but the runner took off on the throw and dove in head-first to take the base with one down. Southern Vt. sophomore designated hitter Fabian Hance (Miami, Fla.) brought him around for the quick 1-0 lead when he roped a double down the right field line. That would be all SVC would push across as a 5-4-3 double play ended by a nice pick at first by Leslie closed out the box.
After Hahn started the Prairie Fire side with a walk, Johansen sent him back to the dugout when the lefty threw over to first, catching Hahn leaning down the base path; the runner took off for second where junior first baseman LaBadia sent the ball down to junior shortstop Chris Nicastro Jr. (Kenilworth, N.J.) who then sprinted and applied the tag. A grounder to third preceded another that way where Scott bobbled but collected the ball, kept calm and fired to end the inning.
The Mountaineers again got their lead-off batter on base when Hahn barely missed making a great diving catch in left, allowing SVC junior right fielder Roland Hernandez (Pico Rivera, Calif.) to reach. Scott then made his way on via a soft grounder down to third that hit off the base and away from senior Bryan Leslie (Richmond, Ill.). Freshman catcher Nathan Cahoone (Westerly, R.I.) squared to lay down a sacrifice, but he pulled back at the last second, and the ball went off freshman catcher Derek Beaupre's (Pekin, Ill.) glove to the backstop for the runners to move up a base. Cahoone then took one in the back to load the bases with no outs, threatening a big inning by Southern Vt. Knox starting pitcher Jeremy Gogoel (Elgin, Ill.) worked a strikeout to help himself, but he followed with a balk to bring in the second SVC run. With the count full, Sciara took ball four to again put three ducks on the pond for the Mountaineers. Gogoel got himself out of the inning when he induced a pop-out in foul territory on the third base side of the diamond and then a fly-out to center with SVC still up just 2-0.
Johansen did most of the work himself in the top of the second, striking out a Prairie Fire before a pair of choppers in front of the mound sandwiched a walk to end KC's trip to the plate. LaBadia tried to start the bottom of the frame with a nice bunt down towards third, but Bevenue was able to charge and make the throw on the run for the out at first. Leslie then kept up the solid Knox defense with a big stretch to his right to snag a throw from Sanders for the second out. Bevenue nearly ended the inning with a nice catch on a liner to his left, but the ball ticked off his glove and fell in for Hernandez to make it to first. A failed pickoff attempt gave way for the runner to make it up into scoring position, and then a second Gogoel balk sent him to third. Scott slapped one the other way, just past diving junior second baseman Derek Cochran (Auburn, Ill.) for Hernandez to score and put SVC ahead 3-0. Scott stole second and then third after a walk to Cahoone to put Southern Vt. runners at the corners with two down. The Mountaineers attempted the double steal, but Sanders was able to grab the ball and fire right back to Beaupre; he missed the tag but then walked over and applied it to Scott who had gone around the catcher and not yet touched the plate.
The Prairie Fire couldn't amount much in the bottom of the third as their only runner was again picked-off on a nice move to first by Johansen and subsequent tag by Nicastro in the second baseline. The Mountaineers came to the bat to face sophomore righty Marty Salazar (Normal, Ill.) who went to the bump in relief for Knox. After he notched a strikeout to start the inning, Sciara worked his second walk to get on for the third time of the day. He stole second and moved up to third when ball four to Rios made its way to the backstop. Rios swiped second to put two runners in scoring position for Hance with just the one out. A slow chopper to second allowed Sciara to walk in with ease for SVC to go up 4-0. Another grounder to Cochran put out the fire and brought the KC bats to the plate.
Knox was able to tally its first run of the day in the bottom of the fourth to get on the scoreboard. With one down, Sanders stuck his bat out and got just enough of it for the ball to squeeze under the glove of a ranging Rios for the single. Johansen's move to first was deemed a balk for the runner to advance to second, and he then made his way down to third on an unassisted grounder over to LaBadia. Leslie sent a hard-hit ball to LaBadia who was able to control it, make sure the runner wasn't going home, and run to first for the second out. The lefty almost got Knox to strand the runner at third, but a Mountaineer infield miscue allowed the inning to continue while Sanders jogged in for the first Prairie Fire run. Johansen ended the inning with a nice pitch at the knees, called for the third-strike punch-out.
The Mountaineers again filled the bases in the top of the fifth with help from Scott's third hit in as many at-bats, but Salazar got Hernandez to fly out to center to leave them loaded for the first scoreless SVC inning. Johansen went back to the mound and started the bottom of the frame with his fourth strikeout of the day. He allowed Cochran to reach with a walk before another balk moved him up to second. Hahn then cut the deficit to 4-2 when he lined a ball back up the middle, bringing Cochran around from second to beat Sciara's throw. Hahn swiped a base before a walk put two Prairie Fire ducks on the pond. That's where they would stay, however, as Johansen worked a groundout to second to retire the side.
Southern Vt. added another in the top of the sixth with some two-out magic, started with a LaBadia grounder back up the middle. After Nicastro walked, both runners moved up two bases when Bevenue booted a ball of the bat of Rios into center field for the 5-2 advantage.
A Leslie hit by pitch came back to hurt after an SVC error and a Beaupre liner back up the middle loaded the bases with just one out. A wild pitch sent to the backstop allowed Leslie to score and make it a 5-3 ballgame, still with just one down. Another Johansen walk ended his day with the go-ahead run at first. Hay came in and only had to face one batter, getting Bohnhoff to line out to Nicastro; he made the grab and quick flip to Rios at second for the inning-ending double play, keeping Johansen in line for the win.
The Mountaineers added their sixth run in the top of the seventh after Cahoone led-off with his second hit by pitch of the game. Sciara's third walk moved Cahoone up to second, and he then came around to score when Knox's double-play attempt saw Cochran sail the ball to the fence after turning the first out for SVC to go up by a 6-3 margin. Hay then made quick work of the Prairie Fire in the bottom of the inning, sitting them down in order with a pair of groundouts and a fly ball to Sciara in right center.
Against the fourth Knox pitcher of the day, LaBadia lined his third hit back up the middle to start things for the Mountaineers in the top of the eighth. He then stole his second bag of the game with one out, but he wouldn't get any further as KC junior Andrew Sparrow (Sullivan, Ill.) worked a fly-out to left and two strikeouts to put SVC away. After Hay sat down the first two Prairie Fire batters to start the bottom of the eighth, Bevenue launched a ball to deep left field for a double. He would be the seventh Knox runner left on base as a grounder to short sent the game to the final inning with Southern Vermont still ahead 6-3.
Cahoone again led-off an inning by getting plunked, the third time of the day that he wore a pitch. Pinch-hitting senior Kurt Kowalczyk (Amsterdam, N.Y.) laid down a bunt and hustled down the line as sophomore replacement catcher Drew Osborn (Moline, Ill.) tried to make the close play; his throw to first was errant, allowing Cahoone to move to third. Sciara put down a squeeze bunt for the freshman runner to come in and score for SVC to take a 7-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth as the inning ended with an unassisted double play at second by Sanders and then a called third strike.
Hay struck out the first Knox batter to start, but a hard-hit single through the hole on the left side by Bohnhoff was followed by a hit by pitch to put two runners on for the Prairie Fire. Sanders grounded over to short where Nicastro made a nice sliding play to his left. As he tried to start the double play, Rios rushed the turn at second for the ball to glance off his glove while all runners reached safely. A pair of solid singles through the infield plated two KC runners, making it 7-5 with the bases loaded and the go-ahead run at first. Hay got a big strikeout to put two down and bring Newberg to the plate. He connected and sent the ball deep to right, just over the out-stretched glove of Hernandez. Two Prairie Fires came around before Sanders sped around third, just beating the relay throw home for the winning run.
The Mountaineers return to Vermont for their home opener with Norwich University on Tuesday, scheduled for 3 p.m., while Knox continues its visit to Florida with a 12 p.m. first pitch against State University of New York at Plattsburgh on Saturday.