Box Score
Troy, N.Y.--The Skidmore College baseball team beat host and top-seed Rensselaer 8-7 in its Liberty League Tournament opener on Friday. The Thoroughbreds will play Clarkson on Saturday at 1 p.m. The Golden Knights beat Rochester 6-0 in game 1.
Skidmore, the fourth seed, improves to 23-19 and advances to the winners' bracket. RPI, the top seed and ranked 15th nationally, falls to 31-10 and will play an elimination game on Saturday morning.
Skidmore jumped on the Red Hawks with its six-run first inning with the help of three hits, three RPI errors and a hit batsman. Junior second baseman Jake Mendell (St. George, VT/Champlain Valley) led off with a single, stole second base and came around on an error. A double to right field by junior first baseman Matt Pisani (Winchester, MA/Winchester) plated two more runs for a 3-0 lead.
Senior catcher Justin Morelli (East Setauket, NY/Ward Melville), who reached on catcher's interference, then scored on a passed ball, Pisani came home on an error and Rob Rubenstein (Highland Park, NJ/Highland Park), who reached on a miscue, scored on an RBI single by sophomore Zach Brown (Victor, NY/Victor).
Rensselaer got a run back in its half of the first inning and pulled to within three runs, 6-3, on a two-run single in the second inning by junior Patrick Reardon (Troy, NY/LaSalle Institute). The home team earned its fourth run on a home run to right field in the third inning by sophomore designated hitter Josh Brooks (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville), who also drove in RPI's first run.
The Thoroughbreds extended their lead to four runs, 8-4, in the fourth inning on a Mike Jaffe (Wynnewood, PA/Lower Merion) triple and a Pisani groundout.
A three-run sixth inning that featured run-scoring singles from junior Camden Mamigonian (Dover, NH/Dover) and senior Jim Devine (Castleton, NY/Columbia) cut Rensselaer's deficit to one, 8-7, but the Red Hawks could get no closer despite getting runners on base in each of their final three at bats.
Skidmore relief pitcher Nick Laracuente (Tenafly, NJ/Tenafly) came on to earn a four-inning save – his second of the season – surrendering just one run on three hits. He took over after starter Ed Reilly (Tenafly, NJ/Tenafly) went 5.0 innings, allowing six runs on nine hits. He struck out four, while walking three to improve to 5-4.
RPI starter Andrew Mondo (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa), the Liberty League Pitcher of the Year, gave up eight runs (2 earned) on seven hits in 3.2 innings. He struck out two and walked three in watching his 10-game winning streak snap. He is now 10-2. Freshman Dan Duval (Middleton, MA/Masconomet) and senior Andrew Novick (Hopewell Junction, NJ/John Jay) pitched 5.1 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit apiece.
