POTSDAM, N.Y.--The Union College baseball team held off a late charge by Clarkson for an 8-7 win in game two a Liberty League doubleheader to secure a split on Saturday at Jack Phillips Stadium. The Golden Knights rallied for a 9-8 walk-off win in game one.
The Dutchmen go to 18-11 overall and 12-6 in Liberty League play, while the Golden Knights are now 16-16 on the season and is 12-8 in conference.
In the first game of the day, Clarkson trailed 7-0 after one and a half innings, but the Green and Gold battled all the way back to earn a 9-8 walk off victory.
Union jumped on Clarkson right away. After the first batter of the game was retired, three straight singles, including a
Kent Curran two-run single, gave Union a 2-0 lead. A stolen base and a wild pitch put another Union runner on third base with two outs, but Clarkson looked to be out of the inning as
Joe Ganim hit a ground ball. However, a Clarkson error kept the inning alive and allowed Curran to score.
In the second, a Clarkson error was again taken advantage of by Union. The Dutchmen used two singles to put runners on the corners with two men away. Jake Vesling hit a routine ground ball, but the error allowed him to reach base as well as scoring two runs. Curran and
Sean Cullen produced two more runs, delivering back-to-back RBI singles to increase the lead to seven runs.
Clarkson started to chip away in the bottom of the second when Nate Burns' groundout scored Cam Bando. The Golden Knights got two more runs in the third inning on to three Union errors, but Cullen extended the lead to 8-4 in the top of the fifth with an RBI double to left-center. Clarkson's Joe Fraser hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the inning, but the Golden Knights still trailed by four runs heading into the bottom of the seventh.
Chris Miller gave Clarkson a base runner to start the seventh with a single, but he was quickly erased when Brad Pearson hit into a fielder's choice. Consecutive singles from Dom Pirro and Fraser loaded the bases and brought the tying run to the plate. Bando then launched a double into the gap in right-center to score Pearson and Pirro. After a Union pitching change, Ben Knauf walked to put the winning run on first base. Mike Messier then doubled down the right field line, scoring both Fraser and Bando. As Union tried to get the ball back into the infield, a throwing error allowed Knauf to come flying in from third base and score the game-winning run.
Curran led the Union offense, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI. Cullen finished 2-for-4 with two RBI,
Matt Catalfo was 2-for-4 with a run scored and
Colin Kelly was 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Bill Christopher suffered the loss on the mound,
Ted Wilson threw a complete game in the win, his third of the year, to improve to 6-0. Just three of the eight runs Wilson allowed were earned as he gave up 13 hits and one walk, while striking out four.
The second game of the day also saw Union get out to an early lead, but this time Clarkson could not come back, falling 8-7.
Five hits in the top of the first, as well as a Clarkson error helped Union take a 4-0 lead. Vesling opened the scoring with an RBI single and
Andy Labeck made it 3-0 with a two-out, two-run single. Ganim produced the fourth run of the frame with an RBI single through the left side. A Union error in the bottom of the first allowed Miller to score after he had led off the inning with a single.
Labeck and Ganim each added an RBI single in the top of the third to push the lead to 6-1, but Clarkson answered in the third as Miller once again singled and then came around to score on another Union error. Clarkson tacked on another run when a Bando single through the right side scored Pirro.
Union's hit parade continued in the top of the fourth, as Cullen and Labeck each hit two-out RBI singles to extend the advantage to five at 8-3.
Clarkson chipped away at the lead, scoring in the fifth and sixth innings. Pearson led off the fifth with a double down the left field line and then Pirro singled through the left side. A passed ball allowed Pearson to score and Pirro to move up to second base. After a groundout advanced Pirro to third, Bando's sacrifice fly brought him home to score. In the sixth, Joe Stockman walked to put a runner on base with two outs. Miller hit his third single of the game to send Stockman to second and then a Union error moved the runners up to second and third. Another Union error scored both Stockman and Miller to close the gap to just one run.
Clarkson's best chance to tie the game came in the bottom of the seventh. Fraser and Bando started the inning with back-to-back singles, and a fielder's choice and a strikeout left the Golden Knights in the same position with two outs on the board. Stockman was able to single to left field and Bando tried to go from second all the way home. A strong throw from Ganim beat Bando to the plate and he was tagged out to end the inning. In the eighth and ninth innings, Clarkson put the tying run on base, but could not advance him past second base on either occasion.
Labeck finished 3-for-5 with four RBI and a run scored, Vesling was 3-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored, Cullen went 3-for-5 with an RBI and Amoroso was 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
Nick Williams three shutout innings to close the game and pick up the win, scattering just five hits with three strikeouts and no walks.
In the loss, Mike Bubniak allowed seven earned runs in three and two thirds innings. Mark Connor relieved him and allowed just four hits in five and a third scoreless innings.
Union and Clarkson close out their regular season with a doubleheader on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 noon.
