The Fredonia baseball team scored two runs in the eighth to tie the game, and two more in the top of the ninth to hang on for a 6-5 win over Eastern Mennonite on Sunday in Myrtle Beach. The win improves the Devils to 3-1 this season.
In the eighth inning, with two out and runners on second and third, both Nicolas Fiore (Webster/Webster-Thomas) and Steve Zaprowski (Williamsville/Williamsville South) scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at four. Both had reached base on base hits.
In the top of the ninth, Joseph Coene (Webster/Webster-Thomas) had a one-out single, and advanced to third on a double by Daniel Goodbread (Tully/Tully). Coene scored on a sac fly by Joshua Crocetti (Rochester/Hilton), and Goodbread came around when Jon Morrison (Macedon/Palmyra-Macedon) reached on an error.
EMU (7-5) scored one in bottom of the ninth to make it a 6-5 game. Fredonia relief pitcher Bailey Gauthier (Camillus/West Genesee) came in and picked up his second save of the season by inducing a double play to end the game.
Nicholas Lawlor (Webster/Webster-Schroede) earned the win going 4 1/3 innings of relief allowing one unearned run. Starting pitcher Pierce Gardon (Colden/Holland Central) struggled early, allowing the first three batters of the game to score, but would strike out nine over the first three frames, and finished with nine K's in four innings of work.
Zaprowski and Coene finished with three hits each, and Fiore and Morrison added a pair of safeties. The Devils finished with 12 hits.
Zaprowski also made the defensive gem of the day. With one out and the scored tied in the bottom of the eighth, he collected a fly ball and hosed the runner at the plate to end the inning.
"We got behind early, bit the team kept its composure," said head coach Matt Palisin. "We squandered a few opportunities on offense, but Lawlor kept us in the game and guys stepped up in the eighth and ninth inning. If we can keep it close, we expect to win a lot of games late. We had a similar win on Saturday, and the team is playing with confidence and picking each other up."
Fredonia ends it trip to Myrtle Beach with a 3-1 record for the third straight year.
The Devils are idle until Friday when they take on Gordon College in Florida.
