ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - The Bard College baseball team completed a four-game series with defending Liberty League champion Union on Sunday, and the Raptors got good pitching performances in all four games.
But Union got
great pitching performances in all four games, and the Dutchmen completed a weekend sweep with a pair of wins, 5-1 in Game 1, and 5-4 in Game 2.
For the second day in a row, Union held Bard to one hit in the first game. Freshman Chris Murdock (Flemington, NJ) yielded just a leadoff double to
Rory Maglich in the bottom of the fifth. He threw a seven-inning complete game, striking out two. Maglich scored Bard's only run on a groundout by
Gunnar Schichtl.
Union got all the runs it needed on a two-run triple by Sean Cullen (Ridgewood, NJ) in the third. It was 2-1 entering the fifth when the Dutchmen pushed three more across in the top of the sixth. One scored on a bunt single, one scored on a wild pitch, and another scored on a balk.
Freshman
Evan Matthews (2-2) gave up three earns runs over six innings, striking out three.
Union's Game 2 starter, lefty Dominic Nardone (Weston, MA), cruised through five no-hit innings, and gave up his first hit, to
Jordan Myers, in the bottom of the sixth. It wasn't until the seventh that Bard started to make some noise, though, and Union was up 5-0 by then.
Esteban Rivera reached on an error, and
Spencer Checkoway singled, chasing Nardone.
Ryan Chipman greeted Union reliever Charlie Hoover (Southport, CT) with a single, loading the bases, and
Alex Luscher walked, making it 5-1. Union went back to the bullpen to get lefty Blake Newcomer (Stamford, CT), a sidewinder who was effective against the Raptors the day before.
A fielder's choice forced the first out at the plate, but then Myers launched a three-run triple to the wall in right-center, cutting Union's lead to 5-4 with just one out. Bard loaded the bases again with two outs, but Newcomer induced an inning-ending groundout to keep Union in front.
Bard managed one hit against Newcomer the rest of the way, and the Raptors are 6-10 in Liberty League play, 12-16 overall. Union is 8-4, 12-10.
Frank Ortega (3-3) gave up five runs through seven.
Alex Bunnell struck out four of the six batters he faced with two innings of hitless relief. Checkoway and Myers had two hits apiece.
The Raptors next play four games at Clarkson - two on Friday, two on Saturday. Follow them live right here.
