Union College Athletics

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College baseball team dropped Game 1 of the Liberty League Crossover Series to St. Lawrence University 10-7 in extra innings on Friday evening at Buck Ewing "A" Diamond at Central Park. 

First-year Jack McKillop drove in four runs for the Garnet Chargers (17-19), and senior Caleb Miller hit his fifth home run of the season to take a seventh-inning lead over the Saints (19-14), but five runs for St. Lawrence in the ninth and 10th innings erased Union's comeback attempt. 

Union is hosting the Saints for the three-game series after the Garnet Chargers placed second in the Liberty League's East Division while the Saints were third in the West. The Saints are one win away from advancing to the Liberty League Tournament, but the Garnet Chargers will try to steal St. Lawrence's ticket to the playoffs by winning twice on Saturday. 

The playoff hopefuls combined for seven runs in the second inning. After first-year Evan Lagemann brought home Union's first run of the game, McKillop doubled down the left-field line to score Lagemann and sophomore Dennis Mulhearn, bringing Union within one of the Saints, 4-3.
 
Senior Alex Oppenheimer gave Union length in his eighth start of the year. He struck out four with seven hits and four earned runs but left with the game tied 5-5 after conceding the lead. 

Oppenheimer momentarily pitched with the lead thanks to McKillop's second two-RBI base knock of the game. McKillop's four-RBI day marked a single-game season high for the rookie, and he has driven in eight runs in his last three games. 

Miller, after taking over the program lead in hits and RBIs on Wednesday, hit his 23rd career home run in the seventh inning to put Union ahead 6-5. He is now two home runs away from tying Colin Kelly '21 for the all-time program record.

Union went down in order in the eighth and ninth innings, facing the eventual winning-pitcher in Joshua Polumbo. St. Lawrence only needed one bullpen arm as Polumbo went three innings in relief without allowing an earned run. He also only conceded one hit as well. 

Trailing 10-6 in the bottom of the 10th, senior Cooper Ames led off with a single and later scored on a dropped pop fly with two outs. However, Polumbo got a Union pinch hitter to ground out after the error and end the game. 

Union will need to win two on Saturday, May 2 to advance to the Liberty League postseason, with Game 2 of the three-game set beginning at 12 p.m.