ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – The Bard College baseball team kicked off their 2020 season Saturday afternoon, falling in both games of a doubleheader to the College of Mount Saint Vincent.
 
The Dolphins (2-0) took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to a pair of extra base hits from Isidoros Bartziokas and Anthony Nocero. However, The Raptors (0-2) were able to get a pair back in the bottom of the inning. Sophomore infielder Spencer Checkoway scored on an error to get Bard on the board, and senior catcher Esteban Rivera recorded an RBI groundout to make the score 3-2.
 
CMSV got the three runs back in the top of the second, as Eric Zimmerman picked up his second RBI single of the day, followed by an error from the Raptors that plated two more runs. Following a run by Bard in the bottom of the inning, the Dolphins added another pair in the third to take an 8-3 lead. The home team exploded for four runs in the bottom of the third, as freshman outfielder Michael Hannan picked up an RBI double, and junior infielder Justin Fiume cleared the bases with a three-run double to get Bard within a run.
 
The Raptors tied the game in the bottom of the fourth when Hannan tallied his second RBI hit of the day, scoring Rivera to draw the score even at 8-8. Following a scoreless fifth inning, Matt DiNorcia gave the Dolphins the lead once again with an RBI single in the sixth.
 
Bard put themselves in a position to win in the bottom of the sixth, as junior outfielder Angelo Winings scored on a wild pitch to tie the game, and Checkoway came through with a two-out RBI single to give the Raptors their first lead of the day at 10-9.
 
But CMSV responded with three runs in the seventh, as Tyler Paulino hit a two-run single to give the visitors the lead, and an RBI single from Jordan Perykasz capped off the scoring on the day. Bard was unable to get the tying runs across in the bottom of the seventh, as the Dolphins picked up a 12-10 win in Game 1.
 
Checkoway finished the first game with four hits, three runs scored and an RBI. Hannan went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored, and Fiume had a team-high three runs batted in.
 
CMSV jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning of Game 2, thanks to an RBI single from Engers Marte and a pair of bases loaded walks. The Dolphins pushed the lead to 6-0 in the second after an RBI single from Perykasz. Bard got one back in the second after Rivera scored on an error, and got two more in the third as freshman outfielder Joe Barcia hit an RBI triple and senior infielder Dillon Daine had a sacrifice fly.
 
Unfortunately, that was as close as the Raptors would get. CMSV added four runs in the fourth and five runs in the fifth, and following the conclusion of the fifth inning the game was called due to darkness.
 
The Raptors are right back to the field Sunday, March 8, as they host Castleton University for a doubleheader that gets underway at 12:00 p.m.