The Oswego State baseball team, which is receiving votes in the latest D3baseball.com poll, controlled a Tuesday tilt with visiting St. John Fisher College, downing the Cardinals 3-1 at Laker Baseball Field. With the victory, the Lakers improve to 19-6 on the year while Fisher drops to 10-15 overall.
Senior Dan Saccocio started off the action in the bottom of the first inning, drawing a walk on a 3-1 count. He then stole second base, making way for Eric Hamilton's RBI single that sliced between the second and first basemen into right field. The Lakers' 1-0 lead would hold through to the sixth inning when Hamilton was at it again.
In the top of the sixth, Fisher threatened to tie the game with a lead-off double to left center field. Saccocio nearly robbed the double, diving a few feet in the air to try and make the catch, but the ball nicked the outfielder's glove and trickled to the warning track. Starting pitcher Robert Donnelly did not let the extra-base hit frazzle him, inducing a foul out to first base, a ground out to third and a pop out to second that Matt Capobianco made a beautiful catch on the outfield grass to end the Cardinal opportunity.
Oswego then added some insurance runs in the bottom of the inning as Hamilton capitalized on a Fisher error. Wes Randall lined to second and the fielder dropped the ball, allowing the freshman to reach base. Hamilton then smashed a double to right centerfield, scoring Randall all the way from first for his second RBI of the day. Later in the inning, Jordan Giller worked a full count before flying out deep to left center, earning the sacrifice and scoring Hamilton from third.
Donnelly went on to throw the complete game, needing less than 90 pitches to move to 2-0 on the year. The freshman allowed just five hits, one earned run and zero walks while striking out two.
Hamilton finished the game with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, driving in two runs while scoring another. Also finishing with hits were Giller and Capobianco.
Oswego will be back on the diamond again at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday as it travels to St. Lawrence University for a nonconference matchup with the Saints.
