The No. 14 Oswego Lakers swept a non-conference doubleheader over Clarkson University Tuesday afternoon in Oswego.
The two games were polar opposites. The first contest was all about runs, as Oswego won 8-4, and the second game was all about pitching, as Oswego won 2-1.
The first game’s starting pitchers both didn’t last long as they struggled to miss bats.
Oswego State’s right-handed pitcher Reston Pettit went only two innings, allowing four runs on six hits. Clarkson’s Ted Wilson went only three innings, giving up four runs on six hits as well.
The Golden Knights jumped on Pettit early. In the first inning Dom Pirro drove in a run with a double. Following Pirro, Joe Fraser drove him in with a single on the next pitch, just four batters in and it was quickly 2-0 Clarkson.
Oswego State was able to bounce right back. In the home half of the first inning, John Barnes tripled, bringing in Eric Hamilton. Mike Dellicarri immediately brought in Barnes with a groundout to tie it up 2-2.
The back and forth continued in the second inning. Brad Pearson singled in a run, Chris Miller followed that with an RBI single of his own, and Clarkson quickly regained their two run lead.
That would be the end Pettit’s day, as well as the end of the game for the Clarkson bats.
Eli Holton brought his hot bat from the weekend into the game, doubling and scoring a run in the second. A Mike Dellicarri RBI single in the third inning tied the game at four, ending Ted Wilson’s day.
Right-handed pitcher Bobby Zywicki entered the game in the third inning for Oswego State, and he was all they needed.
Zywicki quieted the Clarkson bats for the remainder of the game. He finished the final five innings for the Lakers, allowing only three hits while striking out three.
“Every time you have to come in early it means the starter struggled which means you have to pick him up,” Zywicki said. “I came in and was mixing my pitches well to keep them off-balanced so they couldn’t barrel anything up.”
The turning point in the game was when new Clarkson pitcher, Ryan Riley, was greeted with a home run off the bat of Eli Holton to give Oswego State its first lead. Holton, who had two home runs in the game last Saturday, continues to see the ball well.
“I’ve been clearing my head to just think about seeing the ball in one spot and hitting it,” Holton said discussing his recent success.
Riley was able to keep the Lakers quiet until the sixth inning. He was almost out of the inning untouched until Lakers second basemen Kyle Simmons hit two-strike, two-out, two-run double to push the lead to 7-4. Simmons then scored from second on a wild pitch.
Clarkson threatened Zywicki in the 7th inning with a leadoff double from Pirro. However, he was able to retire the next three batters to end the game.
Oswego improved their record to 20-7, while Clarkson fell to 12-12. Zywicki picked up his second win to improve to 2-0, with an earn run average of 1.12.
“We didn’t pitch well early, but our hitting kept us in the game a couple of times,” Lakers head coach Scott Landers said. “Bobby was able to come in and hold it down for us.”
The second game of the doubleheader was a completely different game. Lakers sent out the lefty Brian Nolan to face the Golden Knights. Clarkson threw freshman right-hander Mark Connor.
Both teams’ bats came out of the gates slow and through three innings the game was still scoreless. There was only one total hit. Clarkson’s Fraser doubled to lead off the second, but he was left stranded.
Mark Connor did not allow a baserunner until Lakers star Hamilton singled with one out in the fourth, three more Laker hits would then follow.
Barnes singled home Hamilton, which was followed by a Dellicarri single, who tried extending his single to a double, but was thrown out at second.
Holton’s scorching bat scored Barnes on a double, putting the Lakers from hitless to quickly up 2-0.
Those two runs were all the Lakers would need to provide Brian Nolan, who was cruising. Nolan’s first tough inning was the last inning of the game.
Clarkson had three singles, including one that drove in a run to cut it to 2-1. Nolan was able to keep them at one to earn his second win of the season.
A truly dominating performance by Nolan, throwing a complete game, allowing just one run on five hits. He struck out eight batters and walked one.
“I had good command of my fastball and slider today,” Nolan said. “I was able to get ahead early in the count which was big.”
“We fell asleep early with our bats, but Brian Nolan was outstanding and kept us in there.” Landers said.
The 2-1 Lakers win pushed their record to 21-7. Now the Lakers enter their biggest series of the season against the No. 5 SUNY Cortland Red Dragons.
The battle will be between the top two teams in the SUNYAC standings, and the Lakers know they will have their hands full.
“We can’t make mistakes,” Landers said. “We have to execute and play our game and not get caught up in all the hoopla.”
Landers believes his team is ready for the test. The Lakers were beaten four times in four games by SUNY Cortland last season. At the time, Cortland was ranked No. 1.
The No. 14 Oswego State Lakers are set to take on the No. 5 SUNY Cortland Red Dragons in a three-game series and battle for first place. First pitch set for 3:00 p.m. Friday at SUNY Cortland.
