Potsdam, N.Y. - With a walkoff win in the 11th inning of game two, the Clarkson University Baseball team earned a doubleheader sweep over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 7-3 in game one and 4-3 in the nightcap, Saturday afternoon.
Clarkson improves to 14-10 overall with a 5-6 conference record while RPI drops to 17-10 overall and 8-3 in the Liberty League. Both teams will return to Jack Phillips Stadium at Snell Field tomorrow to wrap-up their three-game series. First pitch is scheduled for noon.
After a single and double from the Engineers to open the scoring in the top half of the first of game one, Clarkson found a response in the bottom of the third after CJ Cartier would walk to lead-off. A sacrifice bunt from James Chagnon moved Cartier to second and a fielding error from the pitcher off a hit from Nolan Merrow put Cartier on third with just one out. Seth Albert would then follow with a sacrifice fly to score Cartier and make it 1-1 in the early going.
Another lone run in the top of the fifth put RPI back up one but a three-run answer from the Knights in the bottom half of the inning meant the lead would be short-lived. Two straight singles from Chagnon and Merrow placed runners at the corners as Albert connected on another drive to the outfield, this time on the right-field line, to score Chagnon and move Merrow to third to keep the pressure on. In the next at-bat, Aidan Kuefner kept the hit-streak going, placing a single into shallow center, driving in Merrow and making it 3-2. Not done with the scoring just yet, a walk in the next at-bat to Joe Figliolino led to a passed ball on ball four that made its way towards the first base dugout, allowing Albert to rush in from third, just beating the tag to make it 4-2.
Clarkson managed to tack on two more runs in the bottom of the sixth and seventh as Chagnon drove in Mason from second with a single to center to improve the lead to three. Mason followed by driving in one himself in the seventh with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly that was just deep enough down the left field line to score Kuefner and make it 6-2.
RPI cut into the deficit with another solo run in the top half of eighth but again Clarkson provided an answer in the home-half of the frame. Chagnon and Merrow would again get the inning started with singles to quickly fill first and second base with no outs. After the Engineers managed to get the first out with a strikeout in the next at-bat, Kuefner produced a single of his own up the middle to give the Golden Knights another insurance run headed into the ninth.
With the 7-3 lead intact, Cameron Barbulean finished off his three-inning relief outing, forcing a strikeout, flyout and fielder's choice to earn the save for Clarkson.
Jacob Shirley earned his third win of the year on the mound, going six innings while giving up just three hits and striking out six. At the plate, Chagnon led the Knights going 3-3 with two runs and an RBI while Merrow and Kufner both finished with two hits apiece. Kuefner and Albert also led the way with two RBIs apiece for the win in game one.
It would take until the top of the fourth for either team to break into the scoring column for game two. After two singles to lead off the inning, a sacrifice fly and wild pitch allowed two runs to cross for the Engineers, making it 2-0 and forcing the Knights to go to the bullpen early.
RPI would go on to add another in the top of the sixth to make it 3-0 as Clarkson entered the seventh with just one hit as a team. Even with the limited offense the Knights managed to piece together some momentum in the bottom of the seventh as Beau Vardion led the frame off with a looping single into center field. After a grounder in the infield allowed Vardion to move to second, a throwing error on the very next play off a hit from Cartier went far enough to the right field wall to score Vardion and move Cartier to second. Two consecutive wild pitches then allowed Cartier to move to third and then cross home standing up as all of a sudden Clarkson was back within a run. RPI would then get the second out of the inning looking to keep the damage to just two runs, but Merrow would continue to stay hot on the day, as the freshman drove a pitch to the left side that cleared the fence by several feet and knotted proceedings up at 3-3.
Moving into the bottom of the ninth, Cartier reached first with a single through the left side and eventually advanced to third following a groundout and wild pitch. With the winning run just 90 feet away and the hot bat of Merrow up to the plate, RPI forced a sharp grounder to the right side to get out of the inning and send the game to extras.
With each team being held scoreless through the first inning of the extra frames, CJ Kanick would take over on the mound for Nathan Hartley in the top of the 11th with runners at first and second and one out. After two balls to start the at-bat, Kanick fought back to strikeout the Engineer batter and keep the score tied with the middle of the Golden Knight lineup due up.
Drawing a walk to start the home-half of the 11th, David Harris would then give way to Zach Rider as a pinch runner before Rider would take second on a wild pitch. Looking to bunt the runner to third, Vardion would manage to lay one down but right into the path of the onrushing first baseman who pivoted and nabbed Rider trying to advance to third. However, Vardion would then move to second on another wild pitch before Aidan McGuire entered to pinch run for the shortstop. Still hitless in the second game, Mason would eventually get his pitch on the fourth delivery, poking a line drive over the head of the third baseman into left field for the 4-3 walkoff win.
Figliolino, Cartier, Mason, Merrow and Vardion would all account for the hits at the plate with one each while Merrow and Mason finished with the lone RBIs from the four runs. Kanick earned the win in relief as the pitcher on record when the winning run was scored, striking out the only batter he faced. Hartley would go seven innings on the mound, striking out nine while allowing just six hits.
