A nine-run ninth inning carried Fredonia past border rival Penn State Behrend, 17-10, in non-conference college baseball Monday.
Down 10-8 at the start of the inning, the Blue Devils (17-17) send 12 batters to the plate and had nine straight batters reach base before an out was recorded.
They loaded the bases on back-to-back walks and a single by senior Dan Cecilia (Utica/Whitesboro) ahead of a bases-clearing double by junior Alexio Medina (Alden/Iroqouis). Later in the inning, senior Quinn Danahy (Buffalo/Bishop Timon-St. Jude) had an RBI single, junior Michael Prentice (West Seneca/St. Francis) a two-run single, and Cecilia a two-run double.
Fredonia rapped 17 hits in the game -- three each by Prentice and sophomore Steve Zaprowski (Williamsville/Williamsville South), and two each by Danahy, Cecilia, junior Liam Kelly (Buffalo/Bishop Timon-St. Jude), and sophomore Patrick Sheehan (West Seneca/Orchard Park).
In addition to their nine-run ninth inning, Fredonia scored three runs in the first and five in the fifth.
Junior right-hander Lucas Schaefer (Depew/St. Mary's) was the winning pitcher with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. He improved to 3-1 this season.
By winning, the Blue Devils avenged a 3-0 loss to Behrend on March 30 at Fredonia and reclaimed the Interstate 90 Cup from the Lions.
Fredonia has a trip to Alfred State on Tuesday, the final prep before a three-day SUNYAC series against Plattsburgh this Friday and Saturday.
