SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College baseball team celebrated the first game under the lights in style with an 18-9 win over Russell Sage College on Wednesday night at Central Park A Diamond.

Prior to the game, Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy, Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, Assemblyman Phil Steck, and Union College President Dr. David Harris joined the team in the infield for a ceremonial turning on of the lights. Mayor McCarthy and President Harris threw out the ceremonial first pitches to senior captains Thomas Parisi and Kobe Mentzer, respectively.

Mentzer led the way with four hits, two RBIs and three runs scored. Sophomore Caleb Miller extended his hit streak to 24 consecutive games. Parisi also extended his hit streak to 16 games. Sophomore Cooper Ames hit his first collegiate homerun and recorded five RBIs with two runs scored.

The Gators came out swinging in the first inning and put a five spot on the board. Union struck back with five runs of their own in the first to tie the game. Sophomore Liam McIlroy drew a leadoff walk Union recorded three straight hits to make it a three-run game. A walk by junior Kyle Zaslaw loaded the bases and classmate Sam Strazza lined an RBI single to center field. Ames hit a sac fly to right field and junior Dan Sheeran grounded out to first, which gave Zaslaw time to score from third to tie the game.

Union broke the game open in the third with a nine-run inning. With runners at second and third, Ames singled to drive in the go ahead run. Sheeran and senior Ryan Cowles hit back-to-back singles before McIlroy drew a bases-loaded walk to give Union an 8-5 lead. Parisi was hit by a pitch to bring in a run to prompt a pitching change. Mentzer and Miller each registered an RBI single before Zaslaw stepped up for a triple down the left field line to give Union the 14-5 advantage.

The Gators drove in two in the top of the fifth inning. Jeff Stearnes hit a two-run homerun into left field, his first of the game.

Ames added a homerun of his own in the seventh inning. Mentzer drove a leadoff single to right field and stole second. Zaslaw walked and a groundout by Strazza moved runners to second and third. In the next at-bat, Ames sent a homerun over the right field fence to drive in three runs. Union added one final run in the eighth inning on an RBI double by senior Anthony Ruzzo.

Stearnes hit his second homerun of the night in the top of the ninth inning to put two more runs on the board for Sage.

First-year Brendan Reid picked up his first collegiate win with 4.1 innings of relief. Reid struck out four with three hits on two runs, one earned, and one walk. Senior Kyle Patlove earned his second save of the season with four innings of work. Patlove fanned four and allowed two runs on three hits.

Union is back in action on Saturday with a doubleheader against Rochester Institute of Technology in the Liberty League Crossover Series. First pitch in game one is scheduled for noon at Central Park A Diamond.