ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – The Bard College baseball team split its final home doubleheader of the 2016 season, losing to Skidmore, 4-0, before beating the Thoroughbreds in the nightcap, 9-2, on Sunday.

Skidmore won 3-of-4 in the series to improve to 13-23 overall, 8-16 in the Liberty League; Bard is 10-26, 5-15.

Skidmore's Ben Murphy (Andover, MA) tossed a seven-inning complete game in the opener, yielding just five hits and striking out three. Bard freshman Evan Richardson was the hard-luck loser, as he struck out seven while throwing a complete game himself. 

The Thoroughbreds scored twice in the fourth. The first run scored on an error, a single and an RBI single by Mike LaVita (Walpole, MA). A bases-loaded balk made it 2-0. Skidmore got two more in the seventh on an RBI triple by Steven Gilbert (Franklin, MA) and a wild pitch.

Bard loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh with one out, bringing the tying run to the plate, but a double play ended the game. 

Alec Montecalvo had two hits for Bard.

In the second game, Skidmore committed five errors, which led to six unearned runs, and the Raptors prevailed, 9-2.

Bard stole a school record eight bases in the victory. Matt Lasky went 1-for-2 with three walks and two runs scored; Nick Kifyak hit a three-run triple. The highlight for Bard was the performance of the bullpen. Rami Masani went 1.2 hitless innings, striking out two, and Alex Bunnell struck out eight over the last four innings, giving up one run on three hits.
 
There are four games left in the 2016 season for Bard. all at Rochester Institute of Technology next weekend. Live Stats are available for all four games.