Schenectady, N.Y. – Union (8-24, 7-15 Liberty) had three, two-run innings on its way to an 8-6 win over Skidmore (15-21, 6-14 Liberty) in game two of a Liberty League doubleheader to salvage a split at Buck Ewing Field. In the first game the visitors held on for a 4-2 win. Freshman Ryan Bowes (Hamilton, NJ/The Peddic School) went two-for-four in the second game with two RBIs and one run scored. Pitcher Josh McKelligan (Canton, MA/Salisbury) went six and one-third innings for the win.

 

In game one Skidmore jumped out to a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom half of the third inning. A double by Evan McNamara in the first inning got them on the board and Rob Hutchison's sacrifice bunt brought in Martin Levinson to double the score.

 

Union made it a one-run game in the bottom half of the third when Jeff Viamari (Longmeadow, MA/Tabor Academy) drove in Adam Chused (Concord, MA/Concord-Carlisle) who led off the inning with a single off Skidmore pitcher Ed Reilly. The freshman came out on top in the end though with just one earned run on seven hits and five strikeouts for his fourth win of the season.

 

Skidmore and Union traded runs in the fifth inning. Hutchison drove in his second run of the game with a double in the top half of the frame to bring home Adam Brown. The Dutchmen retaliated in the bottom half as Chused scored on a passed ball after stealing second and reaching third on an error.

The Thoroughbreds added one more run in the seventh when Brown scored after reaching base with a single.

 

Union pitcher Eric Giovannone (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) struck out nine batters and allowed three earned runs on eight hits in the loss.

 

In game two Skidmore started out again with a run in the first. Hutchison scored on an RBI single by McNamara. Union responded with four runs over the next two innings. Chused set the tone with a lead-off triple down the right field line and then came in on a wild pitch with the next batter. Kyle Murphy (Plymouth, MA/Phillips Academy) came home later in the inning after following Chused with a double to get on base.

 

The Dutchmen added two more in the second inning. Bowes doubled to bring in Scott Carroll (Scituate, MA/Scituate) and then scored an unearned run two batters later following a Skidmore error with two outs.

 

Union made it 7-3 in the fifth inning on another double from Bowes. Skidmore got its third run in the top of the inning from Hutchison who reached base on a triple.

 

Skidmore scored three runs in the late innings to make a charge but the Dutchmen were able to hold them off. McNamara drove in the Thoroughbreds second run of the seventh inning with a double to right center field and also drove in a run in the ninth on a single, scoring Hutchison both times.

 

The win was McKelligan's third of the season. He allowed three earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts and seven walks. John Moore (Westport, MA/Moses Brown) held off Skidmore in the ninth to earn his first save of the season. Nate Coleman allowed three earned runs on six hits in two innings to suffer the loss for Skidmore.