ANNNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - The Bard College baseball team was the victim of a second consecutive doubleheader sweep by Clarkson University on Sunday, 7-6 and 16-1.
By winning the four-game series, the Golden Knights improved to 10-12 overall and 7-5 in the Liberty League; Bard fell to 8-20, 3-9.
Sunday's losses were equally painful for Bard, but in different ways.
In Game 1, Bard got a gritty performance from freshman starter
Evan Richardson, there were no errors behind him, and the Raptors got timely hitting in the form of five two-out RBI to take a 6-3 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh in a seven-inning game. But Clarkson scored four times on four walks, a balk and three singles to win the game, 7-6. It was the second game in the series that the Golden Knights won in their last at-bat.
I had all started so well. Two-out RBI singles by
Matt Lasky and
JP Fisher, along with a wild pitch, gave Bard a 3-0 lead in the top of the second. Clarkson got two back in the third, but consecutive two-out singles by
Preston Gittelson, Lasky and Fisher pushed another run across in the top of the fourth, and it was 4-2 through four.
In the top of the fifth - again with two outs and nobody on -
Alec Montecalvo,
Jeff Goldrosen and
Mike Pizzuto all singled to load the bases, and Gittelson delivered a two-run single to make it 6-2. The Golden Knights got one back in the bottom of the fifth, and it stayed 6-3 until the bottom of the seventh.
Richardson had worked hard, into and out of trouble, giving up 11 hits and three runs over six innings. But he was replaced to start the seventh, and Bard's bullpen couldn't hold the lead. Clarkson eventually won it on a bases-loaded single by freshman Mike Bonk (Northborough, MA).
Will Coleman (Potsdam, NY) went the distance to improve to 2-1 for Clarkson;
Adam Carafotes (0-2) took the loss in relief. Chris Miller (Ballston Lake, NY) went 3-for-4 with two RBI for the winners; Gittelson and Fisher each went 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Lasky, Pizzuto and Goldrosen finished with two hits apiece for Bard.
Game 2 went south right away, as Clarkson scored three in the bottom of the first. It was 6-0 after three, 7-0 through five and 15-1 through six. The Raptors committed six errors which led to seven unearned runs, and managed just four hits against three Clarkson pitchers.
Fisher (0-2) took the loss; Eddie Miller (Centereach, NY) struck out eight over seven innings and improved to 2-1.
David Schlosser had two hits for Bard; Coleman went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored for Clarkson.
Bard will next host the University of Rochester (12-12, 7-5) in a four-game Liberty League series next weekend. If you can't make it to Honey Field, follow the action via Live Stats or Live Video right here.
