TROY, N.Y. – The Skidmore College baseball team pounced for three runs in the first inning, but was held quiet the rest of the way in a 6-4 loss at Rensselaer in the first of three games between the teams for the weekend.

• Skidmore (10-5, 2-2 Liberty) raced to a 3-0 lead when, with two outs in the first, Quinn McDonald doubled in a pair and scored a batter later when Jack Riva cracked a single up the middle.
• The Engineers tied it up by the end of the fifth. A leadoff walk scored in the bottom of the first on a Michael Lebenson double. In the fourth, the hosts closed to within a run when Charlie Morse stole third and scored on an error.
• Then, in the fifth, Andrew Crux drove in the tying run with a two-out single to playe the runner on second.
• Skidmore had runners in scoring position in the second, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh, including a bases loaded, one-out spot in the seventh, but was unable to bring another run across.
• RPI plated the go-ahead run in the seventh. Lebenson walked, stole second, and went to third on a bunt before scoring on a Ben Belliss two-strike single to left. Belliss scored an insurance tally later on a Morse single.
• Lebenson added a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth.
• Skidmore put the tying run on base in the ninth with one out. An error scored the fourth run and kept the bases loaded, where a double play ended it for the second game in a row.
• McDonald finished with two out of Skidmore's six hits.
• Skidmore starter Quinn Hocom surrendered three runs, two earned, with 12 strikeouts over six innings. He walked two and hit a batter.
• Andrew Gaughan got the win for the Engineers with two innings of no-hit relief.

NEXT UP
After a day off on Saturday to let the cold weather pass, Skidmore will host Rensselaer for a pair on Sunday at Ferrari Field beginning at noon.