TROY, N.Y. – The long ball was on full display for the Skidmore College baseball team, hitting five home runs in a doubleheader split with RPI, in the Liberty League opener Sunday afternoon at Robison Field.
Skidmore (6-4, 1-1 Liberty League) won game one by a 6-1 score, while RPI (5-5, 1-1) won game two, 8-7.
The Thoroughbreds got things started in the very first inning, as Pat Geiger and
Will Potter hit back-to-back bombs, giving Skidmore a quick 2-0 lead. RPI got on the board with a run in the third, but
Justin LaRose responded for the Thoroughbreds, lacing a two-out, RBI single to give Skidmore a 3-1 lead.
The Thoroughbreds added to the lead in the very next inning, as
Matt Chipkin scored Nathan Snyder with an RBI triple with no outs. After Geiger was hit by a pitch on the very next at-bat, Potter drove Chipkin home with an RBI single, giving Skidmore a 5-1 lead. The Thoroughbreds completed the scoring with a solo shot by Chipkin in the sixth. He led Skidmore with three hits in game one, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
It was more than enough offense for
Jay Gamboa, who improved to 3-0 after allowing just one earned on four hits, pitching a complete game. He struck out a season-best eight batters and only walked one. Erick Zecha (0-3) took the loss for RPI, allowing five earned in three innings.
RPI jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two innings in the second game, and led 6-1 after four. Undeterred, Skidmore fought back. A three-run homer by LaRose brought Skidmore within two (6-4) after the fourth. RPI responded with a run in the fifth, but Skidmore tacked another one in the sixth, via a two-out, RBI single from Chipkin. Skidmore added a run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly from Chipkin, as RPI led 7-6 heading into the ninth. The Engineers got a crucial insurance run in the top half of the inning, on a Cole Paquin home run with two outs, capping off a 3-for-4 performance.
Down to their final at-bats, the Thoroughbreds mounted one last comeback. With the bases loaded and one out, Andrew Lang reached on a fielder's choice, scoring
Christian Italiano to bring the deficit back to one. RPI closer Aidan Safar then pitched his way out of trouble, forcing
Jake Hardy to fly out to right field, ending the game and earning the save.
Skidmore scattered nine hits across eight different players in game two. Potter went 2-for-4, while Chipkin, Geiger, LaRose, Hardy,
Sam Browning,
Andrew Knight, and
William Snyder each added a hit. Browning and LaRose supplied the power with home runs.
Jacob Berish (0-2) allowed four earned in two innings pitched, but struck out four batters.
Spencer Meyer allowed three earned over four innings, adding five strikeouts in a relief role.
Tim Allen and
Christian Reenstierna each threw shutout innings, while
Jonathan Kaiser added a strikeout and an earned run, pitching in the ninth.
Ryan Yerby (2-0) earned the win for RPI. He allowed five runs (four earned) in 5.2 innings pitched, striking out five batters. Mike Tagaris allowed just one run on three hits in 2.1 innings in relief, while Safar gets the save (1) after pitching the ninth.
Skidmore will conclude its series with RPI with a Monday doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.
