ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - The Bard College baseball team earned a doubleheader split against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Saturday afternoon, taking the opening game, 4-1, before falling in the second, 4-2.
The split moved the Raptors' record to 11-12 overall and 5-5 in the Liberty League, while RPI now stands at 8-9 and 5-6.
In Game 1, Bard's ace, Evan Richardson, powered the team to victory. The junior from Jupiter, FL threw six innings and allowed just one run on four hits.
For much of the game, Richardson didn't even give RPI a chance to put the ball in play. The right-hander fanned 13 batters in the win, which marked the second highest K's total by a pitcher in a game.
Richardson also had the benefit of an early lead, thanks to the Bard offense manufacturing some runs on the base path. In the second inning, Rory Maglich earned a walk, before stealing second, advancing to third on wild pitch and then scoring on a throwing error by the catcher to give the Raptors the lead.
The baserunning IQ continued to shine in the third inning, after Ryan Chipman singled to open the frame. Chipman then moved to second on a passed ball and third on wild pitch, before Jordan Myers singled him home two batters later.
The Raptors added two more in the fifth inning on a David Schlosser RBI single and a Matt Lasky run on a fielder's choice.
In the six inning, RPI got a run back on an RBI single from Ethann Meister (Santa Teresa, NM), but left the bases loaded with just one out after Richardson struck out the final two batters.
From there, Alex Bunnell came on to earn the save with his 1-2-3 seventh inning. With the win, Richardson improved to 2-2 on the year, while RPI's starter, Brendan McNerney (Ardsley, NY) collected the loss. McNerney pitched six innings, allowed just one earned run on six hits and struckout seven.
Chipman was the only player on either side to have two hits in the game.
After the Game 1 win, the Raptors looked primed to earn a sweep on the afternoon, as they sent Frank Ortega to the mound in Game 2. Entering the contest, Ortega had lasted at least seven innings in four straight starts, but the Engineers of RPI were able to chase Ortega earlier than expected.
The junior right-hander only managed five innings on the afternoon and gave up four runs (three earned) on nine hits.
RPI started fast, as a Meister RBI single in the top of the third gave the visitors their first lead of the day. The advantage was short lived however, as the Raptors scored twice in the bottom half of the frame.
A bases loaded walk by Schlosser scored the first run, before Mike Pizzuto singled home Myers on the next at-bat to hand Bard the lead, 2-1.
The Engineers weren't fazed though. In the fourth, they racked up three runs to retake the lead, and didn't relinquish in the rest of the way.
RPI's starter, Christopher Palmeiro (Patterson, NY), earned the win following his 6.2 innings of work. Palmeiro allowed just the two runs on six hits. Erick Zecha (Keene, NH) tallied the save.
Pizzuto led the Raptors with three hits in the Game 2 loss, while Esteban Rivers collected two hits.
DJ Morone (Averill Park, NY) went 4-for-5 with two runs and an RBI in the win for RPI.
Up next for Bard is a road game at RPI on April 17th. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. and you can follow it right here.
