TROY, N.Y. – The Skidmore College baseball team couldn't keep up with a hot-hitting RPI squad, dropping both games of a Monday afternoon doubleheader at Robison Field. Skidmore dropped game one, 14-7 and game two, 10-5.
Skidmore finishes the opening weekend of league action with a 1-3 record (6-6 overall). RPI improves to 7-5 overall and 3-1 in conference.
In game one, RPI jumped out of the gates with a three-run first inning, before
Justin LaRose put Skidmore on the board in the second with a sacrifice fly. The Engineers struck with two more runs in the bottom of the frame, taking a 5-1 lead.
In the fourth inning, Pat Geiger led the inning off with a bang, sending the first pitch he saw over the high right field wall for his second home run of the series, and fourth of the year. In the next inning,
Will Potter hit a two-out double into right center, scoring
Nate Scheinman as Skidmore trailed 5-3.
It was as close as the Thoroughbreds would get, as RPI scored four times in the fifth and five times in the sixth to pull away. Skidmore scored four times in the seventh for the 14-7 final score.
Seven different Thoroughbreds tallied a hit in game one. On the mound,
Spencer Anderson (1-2) allowed five earned in 1.2 innings.
Matt McQuaid,
Tim Allen, and
Jacob Berish pitched in relief.
Christopher Palmiero (2-0) allowed two earned in 6.2 innings for the win. Offensively, RPI tallied 19 hits, led by Joseph Curci's 4-for-4 outing.
Skidmore jumped out of the gates in game two with a three-run first. LaRose drew a walk with the bases loaded to score Skidmore's first run. With two outs in the inning,
Sean Lang ripped a two-RBI single to left field, scoring both Potter and
Sam Browning for the 3-0 lead. The Thoroughbreds also added a run in the third inning, via an RBI double by
William Snyder, giving Skidmore a 4-0 lead.
The Thoroughbreds ran into trouble in the bottom of the frame, as a Jack Vaccari grand slam highlighted a five-run inning for the Engineers. Skidmore showed some fight right after, making RPI pay for a fourth-inning error. With batters on second and third with one out, Browning sent a shot towards first base that was just enough to send Geiger home from third, tying the game at five.
RPI took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four runs to take a 9-5 lead. They manufactured another run in the sixth for the final 10-5 score.
Potter tallied three of the Thoroughbreds' seven hits, going 3-for-4. He also pitched a no-decision, striking out eight batters in four innings pitched.
Christian Reenstierna (0-1) and
Jonathan Kaiser each pitched an inning. Mike Tagaris (1-1) picked up the win for RPI, pitching three scoreless innings in relief.
Skidmore will travel to Rochester for a four-game series, beginning on Saturday at 1 p.m.
