SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.—The Skidmore College baseball team will look to build off its first league win of the season when it hosts RIT for a four-game series this weekend.
Skidmore (7-13, 1-9 Liberty League) vs. RIT (13-5, 7-2 Liberty League)Game Details: Saturday, April 18 – 12/2:30 p.m. | Saratoga Springs, N.Y. | Castle Diamond
Sunday, April 19 – 12/2:30 p.m. | Saratoga Springs, N.Y. | Castle Diamond
Game Link: Live Stats SCOUTING THE THOROUGHBREDS (7-13, 1-9 Liberty League): Matt Barra had a season-high four RBI to lead the Thoroughbreds to their first conference win of the season in an 8-5 victory against Vassar. Skidmore dropped the first game 8-6. Barra finished 4-for-6 with five RBI on the day, going 2-for-3 in both games.
Jeb Clarke was 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI in game one, while junior first baseman
Mike LaVita had a double and three RBI. Senior
Andrew Bannon picked up his first save of the season, allowing just one hit in 2 2/3 innings of relief.
LaVita ranks in the top-5 in the conference in bating average (.460), slugging percentage (.680) and on-base percentage (.588), and is currently on a four-game hitting streak. Barra, who has a team-best seven multiple-hit games this season, has nine RBI against league opponents this season.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS (13-5, 7-2 Liberty League): RIT split with Clarkson in its last series, taking the first game 7-5 before falling 3-1 in game two. Trailing 5-2 in the top of the seventh, Tigers sophomore outfielder Will Gorman delivered a grand slam to lead the team to a 7-5 come-from-behind win.
RIT's .435 on base percentage is fifth-best in Division III, while its 9.4 runs per game ranks seventh in the country. The Tigers lead the league with a .435 on-base percentage and rank second with a team batting average of .319 and a team slugging percentage of .455 and 114 walks. RIT also holds the second-lowest team ERA in the conference (3.44) and is 15th in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings (7.96) and 18th with a WHIP of 1.23.
Gorman is tied for second in the league with 25 RBI and tied third with four triples. He is third in the conference with a .750 slugging percentage and fourth with four home runs. Senior first baseman Skip Flanagan is batting .321 with a team-high 13 RBI and 12 runs scored against conference opponents this season. Junior pitcher Rory Little has pitched a team-high 24 innings and is eight in the conference with a 2.25 ERA. He has surrendered just one earned run in four of five appearances. Senior hurler Ethan Humbert is 2-0 against Liberty League opponents, holding a 1.50 ERA in 12 innings.
LAST SEASON:April 12, 2014 at RIT
Skidmore 1, RIT 2 (10 inn.)
Skidmore 1, RIT 2 (9 inn.)
April 13, 2014 at RIT
Skidmore 4, RIT 1
Skidmore 7, RIT 12
NEXT UP:Skidmore travels to Williams for a non-league contest at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 21.
