The New York University baseball team opened its season on Saturday afternoon, February 27, with a pair of games at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, VA. The Violets dropped both contests to the Generals, 6-1 and 3-1.
This is just the second year as a Division III varsity program for the Violets, who participated at the Division I level until the 1974 season.
"It was good to get outside and knock some rust off," said NYU Head Coach
Doug Kimbler. "Our starters pitched great in both games, but we left a lot of guys on base and didn't make the necessary offensive adjustments."
In his first game back since missing the majority of last season due to injury,
Jake Smith registered the first RBI of the season for NYU. With two outs in the top of the third, the sophomore shortstop hit a double to centerfield to score
Christian Bloom from second to give the Violets a 1-0 lead.
NYU maintained that lead until the bottom of the seventh. The Violets' starter,
Cameron Serapilio-Frank, pitched 6.1 scoreless innings but was pulled in the bottom of the seventh after hitting a Generals' batter and then allowing a double.
Julian Henry replaced Serapilio-Frank but gave up a two-run double, both of which were charged to NYU's starter. The sophomore righthanderfrom Rochester, NY, finished with two strikeouts.
Washington & Lee scored three more runs in the seventh and another in the eighth.
In game two,
Michael Vokulich went 5.2 innings and was charged for three runs.
The Violets again took the early lead when
Adrian Spitz plated
Colman Hendershot with an RBI-double down the rightfield line in the top of the fourth. The Generals came back in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI single, followed by a two-run double in the home half of the sixth.
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS:-
Jack Walter finished 2-for-5 with a double in his collegiate debut.
- Spitz finished 2-for-4
-
Christian Bloom was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.
GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS:- Walter was 1-for-4 with a stolen base.
- Hendershot was 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
"Washington & Lee got big hits in crucial situations and we just didn't," continued Kimbler.
The Violets will close out their three-game series at Washington & Lee tomorrow afternoon, February 28. First-pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm.
