SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Dane O'Neil pitched his sixth consecutive complete game helping the Dutchmen win the first game 2-0. However, Union was handed a defeat in game two as Skidmore won 4-0 in a doubleheader at Castle Diamond Saturday afternoon.
The Thoroughbreds are 8-12 in league play and 13-18 overall while Union is 19-9 and 16-4 in the Liberty League.
Skidmore College baseball coach Ron Plourde won his 300th game in the second half of the doubleheader.
Plourde has a 300-283 record in 16 seasons at Skidmore. The veteran skipper is the program's all-time win leader and has won five Liberty League titles to go along with four NCAA Division III tournament appearances.
Thoroughbred senior lefty Max Martins gutted out a complete game shutout to improve to 4-3. He threw 124 pitches, allowing only six singles and one walk. He struck out three.
Skidmore scored the only run it needed in the third, when Geoff Green walked and eventually scored on a fielder's choice.
A after a run saving diving catch by Thoroughbred right fielder Matty Tatkow in the top of the seventh, Skidmore tacked on one run in their half of the inning when Marco Baratta opened with a triple and scored on an Erik Watkins single up the middle.
Skidmore made it 4-0 with a pair of insurance runs in the eighth, keyed by a successful squeeze by Leejay Pollachi, scoring Tatkow from third.
Watkins was 2-4 with three RBI, while Baratta went 2-5 with two runs. Alex Barber was 3-4.
David Peretti and
Jamie Faber were each 2-4 for the Dutchmen. Starter
Phil Kemp took the loss, allowing two runs on seven hits over six innings.
In the first game, Union got all the runs it need when Vince Esposito drilled a two-strike, two-out, two-run homer to right field in the second. Dutchmen pitcher O'Neil won a pitcher's duel with Jordan Keysor, tossing a five hit complete game shutout to improve to 6-0. Keysor (1-5) allowed two runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts. O'Neil lowers his earned run average to 0.64. Entering the week, O'Neil was ranked fourth among all pitchers in Division III in earned run average.
Esposito finished 2-4, adding a bunt single to his home run. For Skidmore, Pollacchi was 1-3 and stole his team high 17th base of the season.
Union can clinch a playoff berth with a win tomorrow as the teams play another pair on Sunday in Central Park on Sunday, April 28 beginning at 12 p.m.