NEWARK, N.Y. – Union College baseball freshman pitcher
Jake Fishman pitched eight strong innings but the Dutchmen fell 5-4 to Kean University in the first round of the NCAA New York Regional Tournament on Wednesday night at Colburn Park. With the loss the Dutchmen fell to 26-11-1 on the season.
The freshman lefty threw eight innings, allowing four runs, three of them earned while striking out three and walking only three. Fishman kept the Dutchmen in the game the entire way but tired after the eighth inning. He was replaced by Pignatello in the bottom of the ninth inning. Pignatello allowed a walk-off homer to Joe O'Connor that ended the game at 11:12 p.m.
For the Dutchmen, the highlight of the night came when sophomore designated hitter
Eric Egan smacked a deep fly ball down the left field line that just missed hopping over the fence. The double tied the game at 4 in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Dutchmen collected 12 hits on the night. Senior second baseman
Joe Bradlee, senior catcher
David Peretti, junior short stop
Anders Goetz and freshman first baseman
Logan Schulte each collected two hits each. Senior outfielders
Vincent Esposito and
Sam Caruso, freshman right fielder
Kent Curran also collected base hits. Junior third baseman C.J. Worley and Schulte also collected runs batted in.
Richie Ferguson picked up the win for the Cougars after tossing 2.2 innings of relief work and not allowing a single Dutchmen run. Pignatello dropped to 3-1 on the season after allowing the walk off homer if the bottom of the ninth innings.
The Dutchmen are still just one win shy of breaking their record of 26 season wins that they set last season and tied again this season.
With the loss the Dutchmen fall into the loser's bracket and will need to win out to survive. They return to action tomorrow when they face Stevens at 1:15 p.m. at Colburn Park.
