FORT MYERS, FL – The Union College baseball team split a Liberty League doubleheader with St. Lawrence at Terry Park Saturday morning. Union edged the Saints in the first game, 1-0, and fell 10-5 in the second game. The shutout win marked the first victory over the Saints since a 6-5 home win on April 15, 2004. Union stands at 1-3 overall and in Liberty League play.

 

Kyle Murphy (Plymouth, MA/ Phillips Andover Academy) led off the first game with a single up the middle and then advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt by St. Lawrence pitcher Sean Voss. Matt Smith (Latham, NY/ LaSalle Institute) grounded out at first before Murphy scored on a passed ball.

 

The Dutchmen got out of a jam in the bottom of the fourth inning with runners on the corners and only one out, but Scott Carroll (Scituate, MA/ Scituate) turned the 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.

 

Union senior Eric Giovannone (New Hartford, NY/ New Hartford) earned the win with four strikeouts in a complete-game effort in his first start of the season. St. Lawrence pitcher Mike Gipson struck out twelve in the loss.

 

 

St. Lawrence took a first-inning lead in the second game when matt Yaworsky singled down the right field line, stole second, advanced on a Joe Regonlinski single to left and scored when Chris Donaldson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

 

Union tied the game in the top of the second as Shawn Johnston (Hamilton, NJ/ The Peddie School) walked and then advanced to third on an error by the pitcher. Zach Tillo's (Lancaster, MA/ Exeter) sacrifice fly to left plated Johnston to knot the game at 1-1.

 

St. Lawrence collected two runs in the bottom of the third before Union rallied for four runs in the top of the fourth inning. Johnston started off the frame with a single to the shortstop and advanced on a single through the left side by Tillo. Andy Brown (Saratoga Springs, NY/ Saratoga Springs) advanced Johnston and Tillo with a sacrifice bunt, and Johnston crossed the plate on an error by the third baseman.

 

With runners on the corners, Carroll plated Tillo with a single and Pat Wilson (Cos Cob, CT/ Greenwich) scored on a Ryan Bowes (Hamilton, NJ/ The Peddie School) single to short. Carroll crossed the plate with the game-tying run when Murphy singled up the middle.

 

The Saints retook the lead at 6-5 in the bottom of the fourth on a 2-RBI single to left by Joel Kocan and added three runs in the bottom of the fifth on a Ryan Duff 2-RBI single in a two-out rally. Yaworski plated another run with a triple to deep right center in the bottom of the sixth frame.

 

Union starter Matt Sheehan (Lexington, MA/ Belmont Hill) allowed four runs in the first two innings before being relieved by freshman Scott Coblyn (Sherborn, MA/ Dover-Sherborn). Sean Voss gave up eight hits and five runs in the first five innings.

 

Union is back in action on Monday, March 26, in a 2:30 game against No. 29-ranked St. Olaf in Port Charlotte, FL.

 

Game One

Score by Innings                           R  H  E

Union College....... 100 000 0 -  1  4  0

St. Lawrence........   000 000 0 - 0  6  1

 

W – Giovannone (1-0), L – Gipson

 

Game Two

Score by Innings                               R  H  E

Union College....... 010 400 000 -   5   9  1

St. Lawrence........  112 231 00X - 10 15  4

 

W – Voss, L – McLaughlin (0-1)