The New York University baseball team fell short to SUNY Maritime on Wednesday night, March 25, with a 10-8 loss at Reinhart Field in Throggs Neck, NY.
Chase Denison started the game on the mound for the Violets (5-9) but struggled some in the rain, exiting the game after two innings.
Trailing 4-0 with one out in the top of the third,
Michael Vokulich drove in NYU's first run with a double. Coming in to pitch in the bottom half of the third was
Cameron Serapilio-Frank. The rookie tossed two innings of relief, allowing two runs (one earned) and was followed by
Jacob Bader, who pitched one inning and was credited with the loss.
"Overall, we just had too many walks" said NYU Head Coach
Doug Kimbler.
Trailing 6-1 entering the fifth inning, the Violets came back strong on offense. With runners on first and second, Vokulich smacked his second double of the contest, this time plating two runs to cut the Privateers' (3-6) lead to three at 6-3.
CJ Picerni followed with two RBIs of his own in the next at-bat, blasting his second home run of the season to bring the Violets to within one at 6-5. NYU was able to tie up the game 6-6 following a RBI groundout from
Scott Hilbrandt as they entered the home half of the fifth.
Despite their surge in the fifth, the Violets were unable to take the lead for the remainder of the contest en route to the two-run loss. NYU did make a few more plays in an effort to trim the Maritime lead, scoring runs in the road half of both the eighth and ninth innings.
"The biggest thing that this group of young men has to do is hold each other accountable," continued Kimbler. "They need to play as hard as they can from the first pitch to the last pitch."
NOTABLES:- Vokulich finished the game 4-for-5 at the plate with three RBIs and two doubles.
- Pirceni was 1-for-4 with a walk. He also scored a run and had two RBIs, all coming on his two-run shot in the fifth.
- Hilbrandt,
David Wagner and
Jeremy Wayne all finished with one RBI. Wayne also crossed the plate twice for NYU.
-
Matthew Wells tossed 1.2 innings, allowing no earned runs and striking out four of the nine batters he faced.
The Violets will return to the field for their first home games as a varsity program in 41 years. NYU will host Brandeis University for a scheduled 12:00 pm doubleheader on Saturday, March 28. The Violets and Judges will meet again on Sunday, March 29, at 12:00 pm for a single game,. All three contests, as well as every home game for NYU, will be played at MCU Park -- home of the Mets' affiliate Brooklyn Cyclones -- in Brooklyn.
