SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College baseball team earned the #2 seed in the Liberty League Crossover Series after winning the series against Skidmore College. The Garnet Chargers fell 5-3 in 11 innings to start the day Saturday but solidified their spot in the Crossover Series with a 12-2 win in seven innings on Buck Ewing "A" Diamond at Central Park on Senior Day.

Union (16-17, 7-8 Liberty League) will face the third-place team from the West Division in the Liberty League Crossover Series, and Skidmore (18-14, 5-10 Liberty League) was eliminated from contention for the upcoming weekend games. 

Game 1: Skidmore 5, Union 3 (11 innings)
Junior Jacob Skarlis was locked in a pitcher's duel with former Union pitcher Jack Collins. Skarlis only allowed two runs, both coming in the second inning, then hung five straight 0s on the board to wrap up his day and keep his squad within striking distance. After stranding the bases loaded in the third inning, he retired 10 of the next 17 batters he faced. 

Collins took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and only allowed two Union baserunners through the first five innings. He gave up one unearned run in a wonky bottom of the sixth, featuring a dropped foul ball, a walk, two infield singles, and a run-scoring throwing error from his catcher as he tried to turn a 1-2-3 double play. However, Union earned the game-tying run in the eighth on doubles from first-year Jack McKillop and senior Caleb Miller, knocking Collins out of the game.

Senior Anthony Izzo produced three scoreless innings of relief work before walking the leadoff man in the top of the 11th. First-year Lucas Miller entered the game after a fielding error from sophomore Dylan Swarts put runners on first and second with no outs. Mac Cady, who had been hitless in five at-bats prior, broke the game open with a two-run double. 

In the bottom of the frame, first-year Evan Lagemann drove in Caleb Miller after the senior was hit by a pitch. Sophomore Michael Del walked for the second time, representing the game-winning run at first base with the bases loaded. Nick Palovich entered the game for Skidmore and earned the save by striking out the only batter he faced, stranding the game-winning run on base.

Game 2: Union 12, Skidmore 2 (7 innings)
First-year Alex Casey, the reigning Liberty League Rookie of the Week, pitched his first complete game with a seven-inning, two-run, four-hit performance against the Thoroughbreds in the second game of the day. He struck out four batters and faced four or fewer in six of the seven innings he pitched. Casey has won his last two starts and is 3-3 on the year. 

Union scored in innings two-through-five, beginning with an RBI single from senior Nico Lambros. He was 3-3 with three RBIs, joined by McKillop and senior Cooper Ames as the three Garnet Chargers with multiple hits and RBIs in the seven-inning contest. 

Senior Andrew Keaveney drove in his 27th run of the season when he doubled home Ames in the third. Keaveney is tied with Caleb Miller for the team's second-most runs batted in this season. Union's RBI leader, Swarts, was one of three hitters to drive in runs during a four-run fourth inning, and Miller was one of three hitters to produce a run as Union batted around during a six-run fifth inning. With a sacrifice fly in the sixth, Miller tied Colin Kelly '21 for the most career RBIs in Union history (120). 

Del went 3-3 with two runs scored, Lagemann also scored two runs, and McKillop went 2-5, giving him four hits across the doubleheader with four total runs scored. 

Union hosts Mount St. Mary College on Monday, April 27 at 6 p.m. for its next matchup.