Game 1

Game 2

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY- The Dutchmen baseball team fought back from a tough loss in the first game to defeat Skidmore 8-5 in the second game of a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon. Union is now 8-12 overall and 4-8 in the Liberty League. Skidmore falls to 18-6 overall and 5-5 in the Liberty League.

 

Phil Kemp pitched seven innings and gave up nine hits, four earned runs, one walk, and struck out one for his third win of the season. Quinn Rhoda pitched 1.1 hitless innings for his second save of the year.

 

At the plate, Vincent Esposito, Tyler Heck, and Matt Barretto all went 3-for-5. Esposito had two stolen bases while Heck stole four and Baretto stole one.

 

Skidmore took the lead in the second inning 1-0. Union would answer back in the third. After Peter Mugford grounded out to third, Dan Minnes singled down the left field line. Baretto singled to move Minnes to second. Esposito singled to left field and advanced to second on the throw which scored Minnes and put Barretto on third. Joe Bradlee's suicide squeeze bunt scored both Esposito and Barretto and made it 3-1 Dutchmen.

 

Union increased its lead in the fourth. Nathan Foster led off with a walk and then Mugford reached on an error and then advanced to second to move Foster over to third. Minnes grounded out. Barretto's single scored Foster to make it 4-1. Esposito then followed with a single to score Mugford. Esposito stole second and then advanced to third on an error by Skidmore catcher Logan Arena. Barretto stole third and scored on Arena's error. After Bradlee struck out, Heck singled to score Esposito and make it 7-1 Union.

 

The Thoroughbreds would slowly chip away at the lead with two runs in the sixth and two in the eighth. A bases loaded walk in the ninth would add one run to the Dutchmen's lead. Rhoda went 1-2-3 in the ninth to nail the save.

 

Jordan Keysor took the loss for Skidmore.

 

Skidmore took the first game 1-0. Andrew Beaule went six innings and gave up four hits, one run, walked two, and struck out two. Both teams only had four hits. Esposito was 2-for-4 with a stolen base. David Peretti was 2-for-2.

 

Trevor Brucato went seven innings for the Thoroughbreds and gave up four hits, three walks, and struck out three.

 

Union got to third base only three times in the game. They had a chance to score in the seventh inning. Peretti led off with a single and moved to third when Anthony Cassese walked. Nathan Foster reached on a fielder's choice which moved Cassese to second. Dylan Katz-Wicks fouled out to right field and Cassese tagged to advance to third. The rally ended when Esposito flied out to left.

Beaule didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning, retiring 10 straight batters after opening the game with a walk.

 

Union goes on the road to take on SUNY Cobleskill in a non-league game on Tuesday at 4 pm.