Auburndale, FL - Managing to get out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth, the Clarkson University Baseball team held on for a 10-8 victory over William Paterson on a wet Monday afternoon in Florida.
Clarkson sees their record improve to 6-4 overall and with the cancellation of the day's second game will face off with Oneonta, back at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex, Tuesday morning. William Paterson drops to 5-4 overall.
In game one, the top of the Clarkson lineup loaded the bases with a single, walk and single to put the pressure on the Pioneers early with no outs. Beau Vardion would then walk to bring home James Mason and David Harris would wear a pitch to the back to make it 2-0 and keep runners in scoring position. The Knights would tack on a third of the inning as a fielder's choice off the bat of CJ Kancik plated Aiden Kuefner.
After a single from the Pioneers to open the second inning, William Paterson connected on two more base hits and capitalized on a Clarkson error to tack on four in the frame and take a 4-3 advantage. That lead was short lived however, as Clarkson knotted it up at four, thanks to a Joe Figliolino triple to lead off and a Kanick sacrifice fly to bring him in.
After a rain-delayed fourth inning, Clarkson would get play back underway with two runs to jump back up 6-4. A stolen base by Seth Albert and James Mason getting hit by a pitch set runners on first and second for Kuefner who delivered his 100th career knock in Green and Gold to score Albert. Mason, who advanced to third on the play, would score on the very next at bat as Figliolino ripped a single through the left side.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Pioneers would get another four runs off the back of a series of walks, a single and a double. Not to be outdone, Clarkson provided an immediate response through four runs of their own as hits from Aidan McGuire, Albert, Figliolino, Vardion and Harris lifted the Knights back up to 10-8.
A scoreless seventh and eighth innings would open the door for an exciting end to the contest in the bottom of the ninth. Stephen Kubis doubled to open the inning for the Pioneers before an error and single meant all the bases were occupied for William Paterson down two with one out. A call to the bullpen brought Jason McGee to the mound who would then force a swinging strikeout and fly out to right to end the contest at 10-8.
McGee would get the save while Nathan Hartley would be awarded the win in relief, striking out four while giving up six hits in five and one thirds innings. Jayden Villata was stuck with the loss for the Pioneers giving up four runs on four hits.
Figliolino finished 4-5 from the plate with three RBIs to lead the bats for the Knights while Harris would finish with three RBIs and Kanick would drive in another two.
