The New York University baseball team split a doubleheader against Bard Collegey at MCU Park in Brooklyn on Saturday afternoon, April 18.
Game one of the doubleheader was the Violets' (14-19) first extra-inning contest of the season, as they topped the Raptors (5-21) 5-4 in 10 innings. Game two was a different story, as NYU held a 6-4 lead heading into the sixth. But, Bard managed to put three across and hold on for the 7-6 win.
Chase Denison was on the hill for NYU in the first contest. The rookie lefthander tossed 7.0 innings, scattered seven hits, struck out seven, walked one, and allowed four runs (two earned).
Matthew Wells was the first reliever in for the Violets as they headed to extras. The freshman threw 1.2 innings of scoreless ball, allowing two hits and striking out two.
Matthew Millus then entered the game with two outs in the top of the ninth, allowing one hit and one walk en route to his first victory of the season.
NYU fell behind early to Bard, but was able to score twice in the home half of the first inning to take the 2-1 lead. The Violets tacked on to that in the bottom of the third, but the Ratpors plated three in the top of the fourth to take a 4-3 lead. They would maintain that until the decisive seventh inning.
Adrian Spitz led off the inning for NYU with a double down the rightfield line and eventually advanced to third on a wild pitch.
CJ Picerni plated Spitz from third in the following at-bat via a sacrifice fly to tie it up at 4-4 and send the game to extras.
After scoreless eighth and ninth innings, Millus closed the door on Bard in the top of the 10th to give NYU another opportunity for the win.
Jonathan Iaione led off the home half and reached on an error. He advanced to second on a wild pitch to move into scoring position. On the very next at-bat,
Michael Vokulich knocked the game-winning single through the left side to give NYU the walk-off 5-4 victory.
"We pitched well enough to win and hit well enough to win," said NYU Head Coach Doug Kimbler. "One of the things that you try do is put yourself in a position to win a game and we did that."In the second game,
Cameron Serapilio-Frank started for NYU and pitched 5.1 innings. He was taken out in the sixth with one out and runners on the corners. Both of those runners would eventually score for the Raptors, with the Violets' rookie hurler charged for each run. He scattered 10 hits, walked four, struck out three, and was officially charged for seven runs (all earned).
NYU fell behind 1-0 in the top of first, but got one back in the home half to knot it up at 1-1. The Raptors then scored two in the second, but the Violets fired right back with three more in the bottom of the inning to take a 4-3 lead. Bard tied it up at 4-4 in the next half inning, but NYU got one run across in each of the fourth and fifth to take a 6-4 advantage. The Raptors then scored three in the sixth and held on for the 7-6 win.
"We got the two outs. The third out was hard for us to get," continued Kimbler. "I think we threw just as many pitches after two outs as we did with less than two outs. We did a good job of getting to two outs and then we didn't do a good job after that."GAME ONE NOTABLES:- Spitz was 3-for-5 with a double, a stolen base and three runs scored.
- Iainone was 1-for-4 with two RBIs, a walk and a run scored.
- Picerni was 1-for-3 with two RBIs and two sacrifice flies.
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Christian Bloom was 2-for-5 with a run scored.
GAME TWO NOTABLES:- Denison, starting at first base, was 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
- Spitz was 1-for-3 with a run scored and another stolen base.
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Jeremy Wayne was 1-for-1 with a double, an RBI, two runs scored, and reached base on two hit-by-pitches.
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Scott Hilbrandt was 1-for-3 with a walk, a double, an RBI, and a run scored.
NYU and Bard will close out the three-game series tomorrow afternoon, Sunday, April 19, on the road in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY. First pitch for the rubber-match is scheduled for 1:00 pm.
