SCHENECTADY, NY – Union (4-9, 3-5 Liberty) split its doubleheader against Clarkson (8-9, 3-5 Liberty) to close out the series at Buck Ewing Field in Central Park. In game one the Dutchmen earned a 2-0 win on the strength of a two-hit shutout by junior pitcher Eric Giovannone (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford). The Golden Knights came back in game two and put up three runs in the second inning on their way to a 5-2 win. The split gave Union a 3-1 edge in the weekend series.

 

Union's Kyle Murphy (Plymouth, MA/Phillips Academy) and Ben Brown (Brookline, NH/Bishop Guertin) both supported Giovannone's outing in game one with each player recording one hit and one run scored.

 

After going scoreless through five innings, the Dutchmen got on the board in the top of the sixth with a sacrifice hit from Jeff Viamari (Longmeadow, MA/Tabor Academy) that brought in Murphy.

 

Brown crossed home plate on a wild pitch by Clarkson pitcher David Potter with two outs in the seventh inning to give Union an insurance run. Giovannone finished the job in the bottom of the seventh as Clarkson went down in order.

 

The Golden Knights crossed second base just twice in game one. Rob Cowin reached third both times, threatening in the first and sixth innings. He reached in the opening frame on a T.J. Brinkman ground out but was left stranded after Matt Holiday struck out looking. In the sixth he advanced to third on a groundout by Brian Theilemann but Brinkman grounded out to the pitcher to end the second threat.

 

Cowin and Brinkman accounted for the only two hits for Clarkson. Potter allowed two runs on four hits in the loss and struck out five batters.

 

Shawn Johnston (Hamilton, NJ/The Peddie School) had Union's other two hits in three at-bats.

In game two the offense wasted little time putting up runs as Union scored in the first and second innings to take a 2-0 lead. Adam Chused (Concord, MA/Concord-Carlisle) started off the first with a single to center field. He came home later in the inning on a throwing error by the Clarkson catcher, who was trying to catch Giovannone stealing second. In the second Chused drove in the run this time with a single to right field that plated Brian Rhone (Dedham, MA/Loomis Chaffee). With the bases loaded the Clarkson defense clamped down and prevented any further damage, turning a double play against Giovannone on the very next play.

 

Clarkson came back in the bottom half of the second and scored three runs to take a 3-2 lead. Zach Richardson drove in two of those runs with a one-out single to right field that brought in Gerald Stothers and Mike Bresett. With the very next batter Mickey Booth brought in Matt Giordano.

 

The Golden Knights added to the lead with runs in the sixth and seventh innings to widen the gap. Thielemann scored on a single by Stothers in the sixth and Seth DiSanza came home in the seventh when Cowin reached first on an error by the Union shortstop.

 

Union went down in order in the eighth inning and tried to rally in the ninth but with one out and runners on first and second, pitcher Darrell Carey struck out the next two batters to close things out.

 

Carey allowed just one earned run on six hits and struck out seven batters in the win. Stothers helped out his pitcher with two hits in four at-bats and an RBI and run scored. Richardson drove in two runs on his only hit of the game.

 

Union pitcher Matt Sheehan (Lexington, MA/Belmont Hill) allowed just one earned run on four hits in the loss. Chused had two hits in four plate appearances with a run scored and an RBI.

 

Union is on the road for its next four outings beginning with a game at SUNY Oneonta on Wednesday, April 5^th at 3:30 p.m.