The New York University baseball team (1-2) split a doubleheader with SUNY Cortland (4-5-1) on Saturday, March 8, in Edwardsville, PA. The first game was a great showing of NYU's offense as they scored a season-high eight runs. NYU held Cortland scoreless for five innings in game two before the top-25 ranked team went on to score 15 runs to earn the split.
Game 1: 8-7 NYU
Both teams' bats were active from the first inning, leading to a combined 15 runs scored.
NYU opened the game scoring three runs in the first inning. After a CJ Franchini sacrifice fly gave the Violets their first lead, Max Oliveira tripled to right field to score Kosta Mocklis. Freshman Dominic Holton rounded out the first-inning scoring with a single to right field that plated Oliveira.
The Red Dragons responded with two runs in the bottom of the first to cut the Violets' lead to one.
NYU extended its lead back to three thanks to Mason Clark's single that knocked Franchini and Oliveira in for two runs. Cortland responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning.
Cortland tied the game up at six in the sixth due to Tristan Gatchalian's triple scoring a Red Dragon in the process.
Franchini came up big for the Violets during the eighth inning, getting his second hit of the game and knocking in two runs and pushing his team back in front.
Cortland scored a run in the bottom of the eighth to add drama to the final inning. The Red Dragons got a runner on, but the following batter lined into a double play to conclude the game and give the Violets their first win of the season.
Game 2: 15-3 SUNY Cortland
Aidan Howladar tripled in the third to open the scoring for NYU and Harrison Blueweiss followed with a sacrifice fly.
The Violets held a 2-0 lead the next few innings behind Clayton Greene's arm at the mound.
A two-run home run by Gatchalian opened Cortland's scoring in the sixth inning and tied the game. The Red Dragons exploded for eight runs in the inning.
Mason Clark hit into a double play with bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth to marginally cut into Cortland's lead, but this concluded the scoring for the Violets.
A Red Dragon double in the seventh pushed their lead to seven before they added another five in the ninth.
Notable Stats:
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CJ Franchini hit four RBI's (season-high) in game 1
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Nine Violets registered a hit in game 1
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Kosta Mocklis has had four-straight games with at least one hit
Up Next:
NYU takes the field again on Saturday, March 14, as they travel to Florida for a spring break trip. The first game of the week's trip will be against Russell Sage College (2-1) at 4:00 pm, the Violets will play a total of seven games in Florida.