WINTER HAVEN, FLA -- The SUNY Fredonia baseball team picked up its ninth win of the season with a 7-4 victory over Knox College on Wednesday. Freshman
Sam Cestra (Pittsford, N.Y. / Pittsford Mendon) earned his second win to improve to 2-0, and
Bailey Gauthier (Camillus, N.Y. / West Genesee) picked up his fourth save.
J.T. Angora (Rochester, N.Y. / Rush-Henrietta) had a pair of doubles among his three hits, and
Derek Fie (Corning, N.Y. / Corning East) had three safeties.
Nicolas Fiore (Webster, N.Y. / Webster-Thomas) got the offense started with a two-run, bases-loaded single in the bottom of the second inning. Fie scored the third run of the inning on a
Joshua Crocetti (Hilton, N.Y. / Hiton) ground out.
Knox got on the board in the top of the third courtesy of three walks and an error. A second run scored on a wild pitch.
Angora led off the bottom of the third with a double. He would score following base hits by
Jon Morrison (Macedon, N.Y. / Palmyra-Macedon) and
Joseph Coene (Webster, N.Y. / Webster Thomas).
A run by Knox in the top of the fourth cut the Fredonia lead to 4-3.
Fie drove in Morrison with a single in the fifth to provide some breathing room.
The Devils picked up a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth.
Steve Zaprowski (Williamsville, N.Y. / Williamsville South) roped a run-scoring single to score Fie. An RBI double by Angora plated Fiore.
Gauthier tossed the eighth and ninth allowing one run and striking out three for the save. Cestra's win came in 4 1/3 innings of work in relief of starter
Ryan Howard (North Tonawanda, N.Y. / Niagara Wheatfield). Cestra allowed one run on four hits and struck out three. Howard pitched the first 2 2/3 innings without allowing a hit. He struck out two and walked four.
"Early in the season we were getting some breaks," said head coach
Matt Palisin. "The last few games we haven't been getting breaks, but we've remained focused and battled through for some tough wins. We'll need to keep our focus and keep grinding when we face a tough Oswego team this weekend."
The Devils, now 9-2, have an off day before taking on Oswego in a three-game series on Friday and Saturday in Auburndale, Florida.
