Rochester, NY- The Alfred State Baseball team dropped a hard-fought game against RIT, 5-4. The Pioneers drop to 7-20 on the season. ASC will return home this weekend for a series against Pitt-Greensburg.

Joshua Gardner led the way at the plate going 2-4 with both hits being extra base hits. He tallied a double and a homerun. Both Caleb Walker and Devin Mersmann went 2-4 on the day, with Mersmann adding a double. Daniel Lewis got the start on the mound and pitched 5.1 innings. He scattered three runs over six hits, no walks, and a strikeout. Zachary Miner came in relief and suffered the loss.

After three scoreless innings, the Pioneers struck first in the top of the fourth. With one out, Joshua Gardner hit a solo blast over the left field fence to take the 1-0 lead.

The Tigers responded in the bottom of the half of the fourth, scoring three runs to take a 3-1 lead. Then in the sixth the Pios tied the game at 3-3. Gardner led off with a double to left field. Two batters later, Bobby Sellers notched an RBI double to make it a 3-2 game. Then Devin Mersmann followed with an RBI double to right center to tie the game at 3-3.

Then in the bottom of the eighth, RIT scored another two runs to take a 5-3 lead. Mersmann led off the ninth with a single then advanced to second on an error. After advancing to third on a tag, Mersmann stole home to cut the lead 5-4. Then Elijah Barinas reached on a fielder's choice and stole second, then went to third on a balk. Before the Tigers got the final out.