AMSTERDAM, N.Y. – The Union College baseball team opened Liberty League play by splitting a doubleheader against Capital Region rival Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Saturday afternoon at Shuttleworth Park. Union (7-6, 1-1) claimed game one with a 7-6 nine inning game before falling to RPI (11-8-1, 2-3) 12-6 in seven innings in game two.

Game One: Union 7, RPI 6

Junior Thomas Parisi had the hot bat for the hosts in game one, going 4-for-5, including a triple, with two RBIs and two runs scored. Sophomore Dan Sheeran went 2-for-3 from the leadoff spot while went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

The Engineers wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, scoring two runs in the top of the first. With runners on second and third, a well-placed single into left field scored both runners, giving RPI a 2-0 lead.

Union came out swinging in the bottom of the frame, scoring five runs to take the lead. After loading the bases, senior Jono Santos drew a walk to score the first run for the hosts. Back-to-back singles by Parisi and senior Dan Choate gave Union a 3-1 edge. A sac fly by sophomore Nick Hiltsley brought Santos home and put Parisi on third. Cowles grounded out to second base, but Parisi crossed home for Union's fifth run of the inning.

Parisi led off the third with a triple deep into right field. Two quick outs brought Cowles up to bat, who lined an RBI single up the middle to make it a 6-2 game.
Union drew three walks in a row in the bottom of the fourth to load the bases. A fielder's choice saw Sheeran out at home, but kept the bases loaded. Parisi added another RBI single to extend the lead 7-2.

RPI pushed back in the seventh stanza. With runners on first and third, a throwing error by Sheeran saw Aidan Hicks reach first and Cole Paquin race home for the Engineers' third run.

The Engineers threatened again in the ninth. Back-to-back singles with one out set up Hicks for a three-run home run into centerfield, making it a 7-6 ballgame.

Sophomore Chris Suter got the nod in game one and picked up his third win of the season. Suter pitched seven complete innings, striking out six, and allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits. Junior Kyle Patlove entered the game in the eighth and worked 1.1 innings, giving up three runs on three hits and striking out one. Senior Jason Goldblum entered the game in the top of the ninth with one out, striking out one, in 0.2 innings of work.

Game Two: RPI 12, Union 6

Three Union batters drove in homeruns in game two, marking the first time since a 10-4 win against Bard on May 9, 2021 that Union has hit three homeruns in a game. Senior captain Jack Davis went 3-for-3 at the plate with his first collegiate homerun, a two-run blast into left field. Santos went 2-for-4 with his second homerun of the season and junior Sebastian Pike hit his first homerun of the season.

The Engineers continued the momentum from their late inning rally from game one right into game two, registering nine runs in the top of the first off of six hits and two errors. RPI made it double-digits with an RBI double by Paquin in the second inning.

Union broke through in the second inning with a solo homerun by Pike. The hosts added four more runs in the third. Cowles drew a leadoff walk before Davis sent a ball over the left field fence for a pair of runs. Later in the frame, Santos crushed a homerun over the center field fence, adding two more runs to the board.

RPI added another run in the to of the sixth. Union added their final run in the bottom of the frame. With runners on first and third, Davis singled through the left side for his third hit of the afternoon. RPI tacked on one more run in the top of the seventh to make it a 12-6 game.

Sophomore Aidan McGee started the game and allowed six runs, five earned, on four hits with one strikeout in 0.2 innings. Senior Ben Mlavsky entered the game and pitched 6.1 innings, allowing six runs, three earned, on 10 hits, while striking out five.

Union heads to Troy tomorrow for game three of the series with the Engineers. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. at Robison Field at Karl Steffen Ballpark.