Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

Saratoga Springs, N.Y.--  The Skidmore College baseball team clinched a spot in the Liberty League tournament with a 9-1 win over Rensselaer in the first game of a league pair, Saturday at Castle Diamond.  The Red Hawks came back to win the second 8-6.

The Thoroughbreds are 21-17 overall and 12-10 in Liberty play.  RPI has already clinched first with a 29-9 overall and 18-2 league record. The teams will close out the regular season with another doubleheader on Sunday in Troy.  The Red Hawks will host the Liberty League tournament, starting May 15.

The first game win was the 200th win for Thoroughbreds coach Ron Plourde.   Plourde is 200-216 in his 11th season at Skidmore.  His teams have three Liberty League championships and two have NCAA tournament appearances.

In the first game, Thoroughbred senior pitcher Ed Reilly (Tenafly, N.J./Tenafly) gave-up a first-inning run and then settled down for a three-hit complete-game win.  He had eight strikeouts and four walks.

Anthony Ferri (Jersey City, N.J./Loomis Chaffee) went 2-4 with a run and three RBI. He had an RBI double in the first and a two-run homer in the fourth.  Zack Rudman (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford-Mendon) was 2-3 with two-run home run in the five-run Skidmore third and he had an RBI double in the fourth.   Third baseman Zack Brown (Victor, N.Y./Victor) made the most of his second start of the season, going 2-3 with an RBI double in the third.  Jake Mendall (St. George, Vt./Champlain Valley) was 2-2 with three runs and a double.

Josh Brooks (Lake Katrine, N.Y./Kingston) had two of RPI's three hits.  Camden Mamigonian (Dover, NH/Dover) was 1-2 with an RBI single.  Andy Opperman (Oneida, N.Y./Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) was tagged for his first loss after a 7-0 start.  He allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits in 2.2 innings.

In the second game, Skidmore took a 2-0 lead in the second on a two-run single by Brown.  The Red Hawks scored the next six runs to open-up a 6-2 lead.  The Thoroughbreds got one back in the seventh, but RPI added two in the ninth to make it 8-3. Skidmore scored three unearned runs in the ninth for the 8-6 final.

Patrick Reardon (Troy, N.Y./LaSalle) had a huge game for the Red Hawks, going 4-5 with a pair of doubles and a two-run home run in the seventh.  Jim Devine (Castleton, N.Y./Columbia) was 3-3 with a double and a two-run homer in the ninth that provided RPI with the margin of victory.  Tom Jebb (Ticonderoga, N.Y./Ticonderoga) also had a solo home run for the Red Hawks.  Andrew Novick (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) improved to 6-1, allowing three runs on eight hits with six strikeouts in six innings. 

For the Thoroughbreds, Brown continued his hot hitting, going 2-3 with a two-run single in the second.  Reilly went 2-4 with an RBI single in the ninth.  Trevor Brucato (Stamford, Conn./Bronxville, N.Y.) took the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits in 5.1 innings. He had five strikeouts.


<cpi12>

Skidmore College 9, RPI 1 (May 02, 2009 at Saratoga Springs, NY) (Game 1)
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RPI................. 100 000 0 -  1  3  2      (28-9, 17-3 Liberty)
Skidmore College.... 105 300 X -  9 14  1      (21-16, 12-9 Liberty)
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Pitchers: RPI - Andy Opperman; Jason Griffith(3); Dan Carey(3); Jeremy Lockwood-Mena(6).
Skidmore College - Ed Reilly.
Win-Ed Reilly(4-4)  Loss-Andy Opperman(7-1)  T-2:14  A-285
HR SKIDMORE - Anthony Ferri (5); Zack Rudman (2).
Weather: 65 overcast
J. Griffith faced 3 batters in the 3rd.
Game: SCB502A

<cpi12>

RPI 8, Skidmore College 6 (May 02, 2009 at Saratoga Springs, NY) (Game 2)
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RPI................. 000 121 202  -  8 13  3      (29-9, 18-2 Liberty)
Skidmore College.... 020 000 103  -  6 10  2      (21-17, 12-10 Liberty)
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Pitchers: RPI - Andrew Novick; Dan Duval(7); Mike Cieszko(8). Skidmore College -
Trevor Brucato; James Bradley(6); Tom Gruber(9).
Win-Andrew Novick(6-1)  Save-Mike Cieszko(2)  Loss-Trevor Brucato(4-2)  T-3:02  A-275
HR RPI - Patrick Reardon (8); Jim Devine (4); Tom Jebb (1).
A. Novick faced 2 batters in the 7th.
Game: SCB502B