SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.—The Skidmore College baseball team split a non-conference doubleheader with NYU Friday afternoon at Castle Diamond. The Thoroughbreds won the first 6-5 and dropped the second 8-5.
 
Skidmore (5-8) and the Violets (7-13) will finish the series with a single game on Saturday at 12 p.m.
 
In the first game, Skidmore opened up a 5-0 lead behind some timely hitting and solid pitching from starter Andrew Bannon.  Jeb Clarke had a two-out RBI single in the first and Eric Damphousse had an RBI double in the second.  Chris Lorenz and Shawn Klier each had full count RBI singles  in the third.
 
NYU finally got to Bannon with a pair of runs in the fifth to cut it to 5-2.  The Thoroughbreds picked-up a huge insurance run in the their half of the fifth when Clarke singled, stole second and then scored ona two-out single by Klier for a 6-2 lead.
 
The Violets scored three runs on two hits in the sixth. Adrian Spitz had a two run double to key the rally.
 
Skidmore reliever Daniel Dasgupta came on in the sixth for a two-inning save, his third of the season.
 
Clarke finished 2-2 with three runs and an RBI. Klier was 2-3 with two RBI. Bannon earned the win, allowing four runs on five hits with four walks and four strikeouts over five innings. Dasgupta got the save with no runs and three strikeouts in two innings.
 
David Wagner was 2-2 for NYU with two runs. Cameron Serapillow-Frank took the loss, allowing six runs in six innings on nine hits and one walk. He struck out five.
 
In the second game, NYU got on the board first with a run in the second when Cy Cohen walked, stole second and later stole home on a delayed steal.
 
The Thoroughbreds responded in the bottom of the second when Josh Brown drilled a three-run homer to deep left center.
 
The Violets cut it to 3-2 in the third. It stayed that way until the visitors scored four runs with two outs in the sixth to open a 6-3 lead. Iaione had a three-run triple.
 
Skidmore stayed in it with two in the bottom of the sixth when Steven Gilbert hit a two-out two-run double to make it 6-5.
 
NYU tacked on two in the seventh to preserve the win.
 
Brown finished 2-3 with two runs and two RBI. Starter Kenny Ajello went four innings, allowing two runs on six hits, three walks and two strikeouts. Reliever Andrew Aikins was tagged with the loss.
 
Spitz was 3-5 with two runs for Utica. Michael Vokulich improved to 2-1 on the mound, allowing four runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings. Matthew Millus registered his fourth save with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.