NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The Union College baseball team split a doubleheader at SUNY New Paltz Saturday. The Dutchmen gave up a two-run lead to drop the first game, 4-3, but held on for a 2-0 win in the second game, backed by a six-hitter thrown by junior right-hander
Matt Sheehan (Lexington, Mass.).
Andy Brown (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) went 4-for-8 at the plate with three runs scored, while
Zach Tillo (Lancaster, Mass.) had two RBI.
Dane Flavin (Schenectady, N.Y.) went 4-for-6 on the day.
The Dutchmen (5-19) got a run aboard in the first inning of the second game on a
Colin McKelligan (Canton, Mass.) RBI single. Sheehan surrendered a single hit to the Hawks in each of the next three innings, while New Paltz starter Jim Donohue scattered four Dutchmen hits in the same span.
Brian Goldman (Pittsford, N.Y.) led off the top of the seventh with a double down the left field line, advanced on a
Ryan Bowes (Hamilton, N.J.) sacrifice bunt, and came across on a Tillo single up the middle.
Sheehan earned his second win of the season (2-3), scattering six hits and striking out two in six innings. McKelligan retired all three batters in the seventh inning to pick up his first save of the season.
In the first game, RBI singles by
Scott Carroll (Scituate, Mass.) and Tillo plated runners in the fifth to give Union a 2-0 lead, but New Paltz sent four runners across in the bottom of the sixth to take a two-run lead.
Kevin Paino led off with a double, and after Joel Judson flew out, the Hawks followed with three straight singles to plate Paino and load the bases, setting up runs from a Michael Fasolo sacrifice fly and two straight RBI singles.
Union got one back in the top of the seventh when Brown came across on a two-out, bases-loaded passed ball, but New Paltz pitcher Jeff Stith struck out McKelligan to end the threat.
Matt Rogers (Topsfield, Mass.) took the loss (2-4) for the Dutchmen, allowing four runs on eight hits while striking out one in 5.2 innings.
Union hosts Hamilton Tuesday at 4 p.m. before wrapping up Liberty League play this weekend with a home-and-home four-game series with Vassar.
