Game 1 Box

Game 2 Box

Saratoga Springs, N.Y. - Skidmore College juniorNick Laracuente threw a one-hit shutout to lead the Thoroughbreds to a 6-0 game-two win and Liberty League baseball sweep of 21st ranked University of Rochester, Sunday at Castle Diamond. Skidmore won the first game 6-5 in extra innings.

After taking three of four in the weekend series, the Thoroughbreds are 22-8 overall and 11-5 in the league, while the Yellowjackets are 26-7 overall and 17-3 in league play.

The games were played with Rochester as the home team.

In the first game, Skidmore erased a three-run Yellowjacket lead with four runs in the top of the seventh to grab a 5-4 lead. Jake Mendell drilled a one-out bases-loaded triple off UR starter John Menke to tie it and later scored on a wild pitch to give the Thoroughbreds the 5-4 lead.

Rochester forced extra innings in the bottom of the seventh when Casey Strome singled and later scored from third on a two-out misplayed infield fly. Skidmore starter Spencer Marcus got Steve Just to ground out to second to end the threat.

After a scoreless eighth, the Thoroughbreds took the lead in the ninth. Mendell was hit by a pitch to open the inning, extending his consecutive on-base streak to 10. He moved to second on a well played sacrifice by Leejay Pollacchi. Brian Lowry singled to drive home Mendell with the go-ahead run. Marcus retired the Yellowjackets in order to earn the complete game win.

Mendell was 4-4 with two runs and three RBI. Marcus allowed just one earned run in nine innings on five hits, three strikeouts and two walks. He tied his own season win record of seven, improving to 7-1.

For Rochester, Matt Francis was 2-4 with an RBI single in the fourth inning. Nick Cacciola (3-2) took the loss in relief.

The second game story was Laracuente, who shut down the league's top offensive team.
He retired the first 10 UR batters, before hitting Alex Caghan. He cruised through the next seven batters and was one pitch away from a no-hitter, when Rob Barnard hit a two-out 3-2 pitch that just found the inside of the left field line for a single. It was only the second ball in seven innings to leave the infield.

Laracuente's line was no runs on one hit, no walks and three strikeouts. He goes to 5-1.

Skidmore got all the scoring it needed when the Thorougbreds sent 10 batters to the plate in a  five-run first. Mendell opened the game by getting hit to reach base for the 11th straight time. He stole second and advanced to third on a Pollacchi single. The pair executed a double steal, with Mendell swiping home for the first run.  Lowry followed up with an RBI double. After a pair of infield outs, Adam Cornachione singled to plate Lowry. Mike Jaffe drilled an RBI double, scoring Cornachione and Geoff Green made it 5-0 with an RBI single to score Jaffe.

The Thoroughbreds added a sixth run in the fourth when Rob Rubenstein doubled, moved to third on a throwing error and then scored on a Mendell ground out.

Mendell had his consecutive on base streak end at 11, but went 8-12 with four RBI, and four HBP in the four-game series. Pollacchi was 2-4 with three stolen bases.

Steve Guzski took the loss for Rochester, allowing all six runs in 3.1 innings.

The Thoroughbreds host Middlebury College in a single non-league game on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.

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Skidmore College 6, Rochester 5 (Apr 25, 2010 at Saratoga Springs, NY) (Game 1)
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Skidmore College.... 000 100 401 - 6 11 5 (21-8, 10-5 Liberty)
Rochester........... 000 220 100 - 5 5 2 (26-6, 17-2 Liberty)
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Pitchers: Skidmore College - Spencer Marcus and Matt Pisani. Rochester - Jon Menke;
Corey King(7); Nick Cacciola(7) and Casey Storme.
Win-Spencer Marcus(7-1) Loss-Nick Cacciola(3-2) T-2:25 A-175
Game: SCB425A

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Skidmore College 6, Rochester 0 (Apr 25, 2010 at Sartoga Springs, NY) (Game 2)
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Skidmore College.... 500 100 0 - 6 8 0 (22-8, 11-5 Liberty)
Rochester........... 000 000 0 - 0 1 2 (26-7, 17-3 Liberty)
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Pitchers: Skidmore College - Nick Laracuente and Geoff Green. Rochester - Steve Guzski;
Ned Chanatry(4); Jeff Rowan(6); Devin Karlsen(7) and Steve Just.
Win-Nick Laracuente(5-1) Loss-Steve Guzski(2-1) T-1:46 A-125
Game: SCBB425B