SUNYIT reached the NEAC final by getting hot and upsetting two higher seeded teams to make their way thru the double elimination NEAC West Division Tournament last weekend in Reading, PA. 

Castleton won the East Division Tournament on its home turf last weekend to set up the showdown this weekend in the Copper City. Yesterday's inclement weather pushed game one to today at 4:00PM.

The blustery first inning belonged to the pitchers, as SUNYIT's starter Ethan Marr (Roslyn, NY) and Castleton State's Cook each looked sharp and recorded two strike outs each in their halves of the first, to keep things scoreless.

The top of the second saw Castleton State break the ice, (no pun intended), and plate the game's first run.
 
Cameron Curler drew a two out walk, followed by back to back singles from Cesar De La Cruz and David Brandt, which scored Curler to give the Spartans the early advantage.

Ken Cook's use of a fastball hovering around 90 mph and a great mix of a change up and breaking pitch had the Wildcats frustrated and chasing first pitches in the early going

SUNYIT's first hit was an infield single by Kevin Burr (Oriskany, NY), but the home team was unable to bring him around and we went to the fourth inning with Castleton holding a 1-0 lead.

The Spartans got it going in the top of the fourth when Garrett Bissonnette led off with a single and was quickly driven home on a long double by Ted Mills to make it 2-0.
A walk to Cameron Curler, followed by a single from De La Cruz, which scored Mills to make it 3-0.

Cook was nearly perfect in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings, facing just seven Wildcats hitters to keep his team up 3-0 after five complete innings.

The sixth inning was all about fireworks (albeit in the middle of winter) as Castleton State made it 4-0 on a towering home run by Ted Mills.

Then, in the bottom of the 6th, SUNYIT showed the mettle that got them here as Chris Fratini (Syracuse, NY) belted an opposite field three run blast over the left field wall to pull his team to within one run at 4-3.

Fratini narrowly missed a second inning home run to the same spot on a controversial foul pole call.

In spite of the frigid cold being applied by mother nature and the heat being turned up by the upset minded Cats, Castlelton State plated another three runs in the top of the 7th.

A leadoff double by Jack Lancelin, who scored on a one out infield single off the bat of Matt Eisenhuth to make it 5-3 Spartans.
 
A balk by SUNY's Ethan Marr sent Eisunhuth to third. Marr struck out Garrett Bissontte for the second out of the inning.

Castleton's next batter, Ted Mills, was hit by a Marr fastball and stole second on the next pitch.
 
Cameron Curler chopped the next pitch to SUNYIT shortstop John Seidman (Elmira, NY) but the sophomore mishandled it, allowing two more Spartans to score to make it 7-3, which is the way the visitors half of the 7th would come to a close.

Castleton State tacked on two more runs in the 8th and one in the 9th inning off SUNYIT reliever Anthony Serber (Dix Hills, NY) and their ace hurler Ken Cook kept the Wildcats at bay the rest of the way en route to a 10-3 win in game one the best of three series.

The two teams will meet again Monday morning at 10:00 a.m. in game two, with a third game being played immediately thereafter (if necessary).

Chris Fatini led the Wildcats (18-20) offense with 2 hits, including a home run, 3 RBI's and a run scored. Ted Mills led the Spartans (31-12) at the plate going 2 for 3 with a double, a home run, two runs scored and three RBI's.

CASTLETON STATE 10 SUNYIT 3-GAME ONE

Box Score

                           1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9     R    H     E

Castleton State     0  1   0   2    0   1   3   2   1    10   10    1

SUNY-IT               0  0   0   0    0   3   0   0   0     3     4     3