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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.-- The Skidmore College baseball team closed its home schedule with a Liberty League spilt with Rensselaer. The Thoroughbreds blanked the Engineers 7-0 in the
first game and lost a tight 4-3 contest in the nightcap.

The teams will finish the regular season with another pair Saturday in Troy. Skidmore (15-21, 9-15 Liberty) is mathematically alive for a playoff berth.  RPI (24-10, 16-7) can tie Union for first, but the Dutchmen hold the head-to-head tiebreaker, so the Engineers will be the second seed in next weekend's tournament.

In the first game, Thoroughbred senior Jordan Keysor had his best start of the season, tossing a two-hit shutout. Skidmore scored seven runs on 10 hits, while the crafty left hander frustrated the Engineers, who came into the game hitting a league-high .316. Keysor had six strikeouts and one walk.

Skidmore scored an unearned run in the second to take a 1-0 lead when Erik Watkins reached on an error and later scored on an RBI single by Matty Tatkow.

The Thoroughbreds made it 4-0 with three runs in the third keyed by a two-run single by Jeff Spindel.  Skidmore added three more runs in the sixth. Leejay Pollachi homered to right center for the first run and Nick Barra drilled a two-run double to deep left center for the 7-0 final.

Pollacchi finished 2-4 with an RBI. Marco Baratta was 2-3 with two runs and Alex Barber was 2-2 with two runs.

Brandon Galluppi had a double in the sixth and Al Mersman had a single in the third for the RPI hits. Mike Campisi (5-4) took the loss, allowing seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits, he walked two and struck out six. Ash Rao had 1 1/3 of scoreless relief.

In the second game, RPI ace Sean Conroy retired the first 10 batters he faced on the way to his sixth win of the season.  Pollacchi had a one-out double in the fourth for Skidmore's first hit.
The Engineers tool a 1-0 lead in the third when Jonny Rio worked a two-out walk and later scored on an RBI single by Shane Matthews. 

RPI increased the lead to 4-0 with single runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh.  In the fifth, Rio singled, moved to second on a walk, and then stole third and scored on a throwing error.  Nick Palmiero scored the run in the sixth after he got hit, advanced on a walk and scored on an RBI single from Chris Holomakoff. The run in the seventh came when Tim LeSuer singled and later scored on Palmiero's RBI single.

Skidmore got to Conroy in the seventh when Marco Baratta reached on an error and scored on an Erik Watkins RBI double.  The Thoroughbreds loaded the bases, but Conroy forced a two-out pop-up to end the inning.

Skidmore rallied in the ninth. Watkins opened the inning with a single. After a strikeout, Mike Pannozzi had a clutch two-strike single to chase Conroy. Reliever Tim Gallagher's first pitch went to the backstop, moving the runners into scoring position. Nick Barra then tagged a deep fly out to right that scored Watkins and advanced Pannozzi to third. Alex Pavelock beat out a hard hit ball to third to plate Pannozzi and cut the lead to 4-3.  Taktkow singled to keep the inning alive, but Gallagher got Geoff Green to fly out to left for the final out and his second save of the season.

Watkins and Tatkow each finished 2-4, while Pannozzi was 2-2.  Starter Max Martins (4-4) pitched well in the loss, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits, with six walks and six strikeouts in six innings. Bobby Stafutti pitched the final three innings, allowing one run on four hits with no walks and three strikeouts.

Rio and Matthews were 2-4 for the Engineers. Conroy (6-1) went 8 1/3, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits with one walk and eight strikeouts.