SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.— The Skidmore College baseball team lost a pair of close contests to open its four-game Liberty League series with the Rochester Institute of Technology Saturday at Castle Diamond.
 
The Thoroughbreds lost the first game 2-1 and the second 8-5. The teams will meet again in Saratoga on Sunday at 12 p.m. for two more.
 
Skidmore is 9-16 overall and 4-12 in Liberty League play. The Tigers extended their record-setting win streak to 12 games to go to 18-6 and 12-1.
 
The first game turned into a pitcher's duel between Thoroughbred lefty Spencer Anderson and RIT's Brian Reed.
 
After four scoreless innings, Skidmore went up 1-0 with two outs and the bases loaded.   Steven Gilbert's infield single deep in the hole at short plated Sean Klier. With bases still loaded, Reed ended the threat with one of his six strikeouts.
 
The Tigers scored twice in the sixth on a two-out double by Daniel Zeglen.
 
Pat Geiger was 2-3 for Skidmore. Anderson (1-4) allowed two runs on seven hits and three walks. He struck out four.
 
Jason Schulz was 2-3 for RIT. Reed (5-1) allowed one run on six hits and two walks.
 
In the second game, the Tigers took the early 1-0 lead with a run in the second. Skidmore tied it in the third on an RBI single to center by Mat Marino.  After another RIT run in the fifth, Skidmore went in front 3-2 on an RBI double by Gilbert and another RBI single by Marino.
 
Skidmore had done a good job keeping potential league MVP Will Gorman in check until the sixth inning. In his only charged at bat in five plate appearances, Gorman sent a first pitch over the center field fence for a three-run home run and a 5-3 lead. It was his fifth round tripper of the season.  RIT added another run in the inning to up it to 6-3.
 
The Thoroughbreds got two back in the bottom of the sixth to close it to 6-5. Mike Fogerty had an RBI double.  The Tigers added two insurance runs in the eighth for the 8-5 final.
 
Marino finished 2-4 with two RBI and two stolen bases.  Josh Brown was 2-5 with a run.  Andrew Aikins (2-4) allowed six runs on 10 hits over six innings. He struck out two.
 
Brett Kajganich was 3-5 with a run and RBI for RIT. Gianfranco Gentile had a two-run double. Gorman was 1-2 with two runs three RBI and four walks.