Baseball Opens Season With Losses At #5 Brookdale
The SUNY Broome baseball team began its 2026 season with a doubleheader at nationally-ranked #5 Brookdale CC and was swept by scores of 13-3 and 12-2.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
|
|
3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 8 | 1 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
|
|
0 | 3 | 5 | 4 | X | 12 | 13 | 1 |
The SUNY Broome baseball team began its 2026 season with a doubleheader at nationally-ranked #5 Brookdale CC and was swept by scores of 13-3 and 12-2.
Both legs of the doubleheader went final after five innings due to the 10-run rule.
Game 1: SUNY Broome 3, #5 Brookdale 13
The Hornets scored first with two runs in the top of the 1st, but Brookdale answered with three in the bottom half. Another run in the top of the second evened things at 3-3, but the host Jersey Blues struck for six in the bottom of the inning and the Hornets did not score again.
SUNY Broome freshman pitcher Luke Grassi, anticipated to compete for the role of the Hornets' top starter this season, was touched up a bit in his collegiate debut. Over 1.1 innings, he allowed two hits, nine runs (four earned), walked six, and struck out one. He faced 14 batters.
Ethan Flagg would follow with 1.2 innings of work, giving up five hits, four earned runs, three walks, and no strikeouts. Evan Persbacker pitched a clean inning of relief, allowing no baserunners.
Batting leadoff and patroling center field, Kaiden Cannistra was 1-3 with an RBI. First baseman Zechariah Clouston went 1-1 with a triple and two RBI. He also drew two walks. Peter Cruz added a hit and Cade Raleigh picked up the fourth Hornets' hit while also scoring a run. Darlyn De Los Angeles and Santino Michitti scored the other two runs.
Bailey O'Connor and Manuel Paulino each stole a base.
Hornets' hitters drew five walks against eight strikeouts and left 13 men on base. SUNY Broome committed three errors in the field.
Game 2: SUNY Broome 2, #5 Brookdale 12
After a scoreless first inning, Brookdale took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd. SUNY Broome responded with two runs in the top of the 3rd to move within one, but then the Jersey Blues scored five more runs in the bottom of the 3rd. A four-run bottom of the 4th put the game out of reach and made it 12-2 in favor of Brookdale.
Clouston toed the rubber in the backend of the double header. He went 2.2 innings and allowed five hits, eight runs (four earned), walked four, and struck out three. He faced 16 batters.
Cruz went an inning in relief and allowed three hits and four runs (one earned) on one walk and no strikeouts. Persbacker appeared again in game two to deal the final third of an inning.
Cannistra continued his solid day at the plate by going 2-2 with a double and an RBI. He also stole a base. Michitti also had an RBI on a sacrifice fly. Ichiro Edo was 1-2 with a walk and a run scored. Brady Blair was 1-1 with a run scored. Emerson Toulson was also 1-1.
SUNY Broome batters mustered up five hits, walked twice and struck out six times while leaving eight men on base.
In the field, errors did play a role in the final score of each contest as SUNY Broome committed five miscues in the second game and eight on the day.
The Hornets are now scheduled to play their next four games against NJCAA Region 3 foe Mohawk Valley CC. A road doubleheader is slated for Saturday, March 21 and then SUNY Broome will play its first action at home with another doubleheader on Sunday, March 22.
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