BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – The Fairmont State (7-21, 6-8 in Mountain East Conference play) baseball team won the first two games of a four-game set versus Alderson Broaddus (8-21, 2-12) on Saturday (April 8) at the Bridgeport Recreation Complex. The Falcons won game one 7-2 and were down to their last strike twice in game two but roared back to defeat the Battlers 4-3 in extra frames.
 
Game One – Fairmont State 7, Alderson Broaddus 2
After AB scored a run in the top of the second, Ryan Goff grounded out to short with one out to score Noah Canterbury to even the score at one. The Falcons offense broke through with six runs in the bottom of the third inning. Connor Bailey started the inning with a bunt single and stole second base. Vince Sabatino was then hit by a pitch. Alex Tennant drilled a double down the left field line to score both runners and the Falcons inched ahead, 3-1. After a walk by Alex Perez, Canterbury delivered an RBI knock to continue the big inning for the Falcons. After Noah Armstrong singled, Goff was hit by a pitch and Perez scored the fourth run of the inning. Cade Sikoski capped off the huge scoring inning with two-RBI double and Fairmont State led 7-1.

That was all the run support senior starter Connor Cramer needed. Cramer was sharp on the mound and delivered his second complete-game victory of the season. He struck out eight Alderson Broaddus hitters and allowed five hits on two earned runs in his second win of the season. The Falcons went on to win game one, 7-2.
 
Bailey stole a base and was on board twice with a hit and a hit by pitch. Perez led the Falcons with two hits and reached base three times by adding a walk. Tennant, Goff and Sikoski all had two RBIs each in the Fighting Falcons' win.
 
Game Two – Fairmont State 4, Alderson Broaddus 3 (8 inn.)
Logan McClure struck out five AB hitters in the first three innings. Both pitchers tossed scoreless innings in the first three frames. Bailey scored the game's first run on a passed ball with two outs in the fourth inning.
 
With one out in the sixth, AB took the lead after a wild pitch, an RBI single and an RBI groundout. The Battlers took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning. Bailey doubled with one out in the sixth and Perez drove him in with a two-out RBI single to put the Falcons within one run heading into the seventh inning. Steven Ricketts pitched around a leadoff single in the seventh inning and kept the score at 3-2 and the game moved to the bottom of the seventh.
 
Goff singled with one out in the bottom of the seventh and moved to second base on a ground out. Hudson Smith stepped into the box with the Falcons down to their last out and worked a walk to extend the inning. Bailey worked a full count and walked to load the bases. After a pitching change, Sabatino was down in the count 1-2 and was hit by a pitch to tie the game at three. AB secured the final out of the seventh with the score tied and the game moved to extra innings.
 
Ricketts sat the Battlers down in order in the eighth inning. Perez led the eighth inning off with a base on balls. With one out, Jarrod Jones worked a pinch-hit walk to put two runners on base for the Falcons. A wild pitch moved the winning run to third base and Goff walked with one out. Brett Haskins drew the fourth and final walk of the inning and Isaac Miller crossed home plate for the game-winning run. Fairmont State completed the comeback and took game two on a walk-off walk.
 
Bailey and Perez both finished with a pair of hits and a walk. Armstrong and Goff added hits for the Fairmont State offense. McClure punched out a season-high nine batters and did not allow a walk. Ricketts earned his second win of the season after throwing two scoreless innings and allowing one hit.
 
Up Next
Fairmont State will wrap up its first MEC North Divisional series on Monday (April 10) at the Bridge versus Alderson Broaddus with the doubleheader starting at noon.