The Bard baseball team battled through a tightly contested game on Saturday afternoon but ultimately fell to Hobart, 5-1, in the season finale at McDonough Park. The contest marked the final collegiate appearances for seniors
Kane Morgan and
Graham Marshall, closing out their careers in a hard-fought effort on the road.
Hobart struck early in the first inning with a run on three hits, and later added an unearned run in the fourth to take a 2-0 lead. Despite the early deficit, Morgan kept Bard within striking distance, delivering a strong outing on the mound. The senior right-hander went 6.0 innings, allowing just two runs (one earned) while striking out eight, consistently working out of trouble and giving the Raptors a chance deep into the game.
Bard's offense found a breakthrough in the eighth inning.
Andrew Plenn led off with a single, and
Jeremy Hall followed with a double to put runners in scoring position.
Jack Rivlin lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home Plenn, cutting the deficit to 2-1 and injecting life into the Raptors' dugout. However, Hobart responded in the bottom half of the inning, capitalizing on a pair of defensive miscues and timely hitting to score three runs and extend the lead to 5-1.
The Raptors threatened in the ninth, as
Jack Leandri singled and moved into scoring position, but Hobart's bullpen closed the door to secure the win. Bard finished with six hits on the day, including multi-hit efforts from Leandri, while Hall added a key extra-base hit.
Beyond the final score, the afternoon carried added weight as Bard honored two seniors who have been central to the program. Morgan's performance embodied his resilience and leadership, battling through six innings against a potent lineup. Marshall, appearing as a pinch hitter late, represented the culmination of his time in a Raptors uniform—another moment in a career defined by commitment to the program.
While the result did not fall Bard's way, the fight shown throughout the game reflected the group's grit, closing the season with effort and pride alongside two seniors who helped shape the program's foundation.
