The Alfred State baseball returned to the diamond for the first time since returning North on Sunday and split with Monroe CC following a 16-12 victory in the nightcap. The Pioneers dropped the opener 12-2.

In the nightcap, the Pioneers trailed 7-4 after one inning but answered with eight runs in the 2nd inning to gain the lead for good. David Zuber (Honeoye Falls Lima) keyed the big inning with a three-run homer, the first of his Pioneer career.

The blue & gold added three insurance runs in the 4th and Rafael Perozo (Bronx/St. Raymond) allowed just five hits in 4.1 innings of relief to earn the victory. Perozo allowed just one earned run in winning his first career game.

Alfred State collected 15 hits in the nightcap led by Perozo, Nicholas Padley (Sweet Home), and Jose Martinez (Queens/Newtown). Perozo was 3 for 4 with 3 RBI, Padley 3-5 with 3 RBI, and Martinez 3-5 with 2 RBI. Cullen Franz (Cazenovia) finished 2 for 5 with 4 RBI and Zuber was 2 for 4 with 3 RBI.

In the opener, the Tribunes broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the 3rd and then put the game out of reach with five in the 4th and three more in the 5th.

Jordan Wheaton (Wayland Cohocton) was 2 for 2 in the game while Perozo was 2 for 3. Both collected doubles along with Martinez.

The blue & gold are back at it on Tuesday when they host Penn College at 1 p.m. The doubleheader will be played at Houghton College.