The New York University baseball team fell to Skidmore College on Sunday, May 8, at MCU Park in Brooklyn, NY.
NYU (20-22) was defeated by the Thoroughbreds (14-25) 14-12 in 10 innings in the final game of the 2016 regular season.
The Violets jumped out to an earlier lead as they scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning. The big blow in the inning was a three-run home run off the bat of Jonathan Iaione.
"Offensively, Jon had a great day," said Head Coach Doug Kimbler. "He provided a huge spark for us early in the game."
Skidmore battled back, however, scoring 12 of the next 13 runs to take a 12-6 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning. The NYU offense returned to its early form in the sixth scoring four more runs to close the margin to 12-10.
The Violets managed to tack on an additional run in the bottom of the seventh inning to bring the score to 12-11 and eventually tied the game at 12 on an RBI single from Jack Elias in the bottom of the eighth.
"I think that is what all hitters want, they want to be up in that situation," continued Kimbler. "Jack took a few pitches, squared up, and had a great at-bat for us."
With both teams unable to score in the ninth, the game headed into the 10th inning when Skidmore finally broke the tie and took the 14-12 lead. NYU was unable to recover from the deficit in the bottom of the frame, falling to the Thoroughbreds to conclude the 2016 season with a final record of 20-22.
"Overall, Skidmore took advantage of a few more mistakes than we did," said Kimbler. "That is what made the difference in today's close game."
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Iaione set an NYU record with six RBI in the loss..
- Seniors Adrian Spitz, CJ Picerni, Sy Cohen, and Jacob Bader all played in their final collegiate game.
"It is hard to think of them as seniors when you have only been with them for two years," concluded Kimbler. "I am very thankful and appreciative of their efforts both on and off the baseball field."
- Ryan McLaughlin had three hits for the Violets. The freshmen was also hit by a pitch for the 22nd time this season.
- Chad Johnstone recorded three strikeouts in 2.1 innings of work on the mound.
Following today's game, NYU along with Skidmore donated $2,678.53 to the Go 4 The Goal Challenge to raise funds and awareness for pediatric cancer with the help and support from both teams, their families and fans.
Today's game against Skidmore concluded the regular season for NYU.
