POTSDAM, N.Y. - The Bard College baseball team lost both games during a doubleheader Saturday afternoon, falling 8-1 in the first game and 5-3 in the second at Clarkson University.
The Raptors (8-16, 3-9 Liberty League) fell behind early in Game One, as the Golden Knights of Clarkson (12-11, 9-5 LL) scored twice in the top of first thanks to an error and two singles.
The Golden Knights tacked on a third run in the top of the fourth, before Bard scored its only run of the game in the bottom half of the inning.
Matt Lasky was able to get on with a single to start the inning and used a passed ball, groundout to move him over and a wild pitch to score.
Clarkson responded by scoring three in the fifth and two more in the seventh, as it breezed to an easy Game One Victory.
Raptors' starting pitcher,
Kyle Zigner picked up the loss, as he went four and two-thirds innings, allowing 12 hits, six runs (three earned) and striking out two before being replaced.
Andrew Smith (Carthage, NY) pitched a complete game for the Golden Knights, as he struck out six in the game, while allowing just one run and one walk.
Lasky and
Quinn McInerney led Bard with two hits each in the contest, and Chris Miller (Ballston Lake, NY) finished with three hits and two RBIs for Clarkson in the win.
Game Two played out much like the first game, as Clarkson used its bats early to spot the team an advantage.
After three scoreless innings, the Golden Knights put up two runs in the fourth and three in the fifth to jump out to a 5-0 lead over Bard.
The Raptors answered with a run of their own in the bottom half of the fifth inning, on a single from
Michael Uhle, but wouldn't score again until the bottom of the ninth.
Bard had a great chance to steal the game late, as the team used back-to-back hit batters and an error to score a run to cut the lead to 5-2. On the next at-bat, Uhle knocked in his second RBI of the game on a groundout to first, to make it just a two-run lead for Clarkson.
But from there, the Golden Knights did just enough to get the final two outs of the game, as the Raptors stranded men on second and third.
Steve Marotta was issued the loss for the Raptors, after he went four and a third innings, allowing four hits and four earned runs. Mike Bubniak (Chenango Forks, NY) got the win for his solid pitching on the afternoon. He went seven and a third innings and allowed just one run on six hits in the effort.
McInerney recorded two more hits in the game, while
Mike Pizzuto tallied a hit and two runs. Joe Fraser (Clifton Park, NY) finished with two singles, a double, two RBIs and a walk in the win for Clarkson.
Up next for Bard is a home and away series with Union College beginning on April 22nd at Honey Field. Game One of the four game series is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. and you can follow it right here via Live Stats and Live Video.
