Clarkson Athletics

Farmingdale, NY - A 10-run effort was enough on nine occasions this season for the Clarkson University Baseball team as the Golden Knights were a perfect 9-0 in 2009 when reaching double figures. That was until Thursday, when Farmingdale State nearly doubled the effort with 19 runs, holding off elimination for a day and sending the Knights to the brink of elimination with a 19-10 set back.

The Golden Knights dropped to 22-20 overall for the season and will face the loser of Rensselaer/Western New England at 12:00 noon at Friday afternoon. Farmingdale moved to 27-15.

Things started off poorly for the Knights as David Goerold (Clifton Park, NY) struggled with his control, but he was able to make it out of the first inning without any harm. In the second, the Rams scored one, and in the third they tacked on three more for a 4-0 lead. Clarkson responded with four run in the bottom of the third as Matt Curry (Richland, NY) started the Knights' rally with a single to center. After a Brady Torbitt (Fulton, NY) walk, Jerry Coleman (Potsdam, NY) singled in two more runs and David Kinney (Mexico, NY) followed with a single to plate Torbitt, tying the game up 4-4.

Farmingdale chased Goerold in the next inning, scoring three times for a 7-4 lead. In the fifth, the Knights appeared to be out of a jam, but an error allowed four runs to cross before the third out was recorded. Torbitt hit a 450-plus foot home run to center field to end the run, but three more scored for the Rams in the sixth to put the game out of reach as they continued to tack runs on.

Torbitt reached base six times in six plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with a homer and a double along with three walks and being hit by a pitch. Curry went 2-for-5, driving in four runs, and David Kinney also went 2-for-5.