Potsdam, N.Y. - Late scoring runs went against the Golden Knights in both games of a doubleheader as the Clarkson University baseball team fell to University of Rochester, 13-10 and 6-4, at Jack Phillips Stadium on Saturday.
Needing the wins to boost playoff chances, Clarkson moves to 16-12 overall and 7-8 in the Liberty League with one final three-game conference weekend remaining against St. Lawrence next Friday and Saturday. The Yellowjackets improve to 12-16 overall, 5-10 in league play. Clarkson is scheduled to face Plattsburgh State in a single, nine-inning matchup on Monday in Potsdam, weather permitting.
Game one provided 23 runs combined between the two teams with each using big innings throughout the ten innings. Clarkson got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the second when CJ Cartier would single and Beau Vardion would reach on a fielder's choice before James Chagnon ripped a single into left center that scored Cartier and moved Vardion to second A bunt single from Seth Albert loaded the bases with one out to bring up Aidan Kuefner who connected on a deep fly to left that scored Vardion to make it 2-0. The Knights looked to add more as Nolan Merrow would again juice the bases with a single in the next at bat but Rochester managed to keep the next ball hit in the infield to gain a forceout and get out of the inning.
After a scoreless third and fourth, the Yellowjackets would take a firm grasp on the contest using balanced scoring over the next four half-innings. The visitors would notch two runs in the top of the fifth, two in the top of the sixth, two in the top of the seventh and three in the top of the eighth as the lead would grow to 9-3 at its largest.
Cartier supplied that third Golden Knight run in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out single down the left field line that brought James Mason around from second after reaching on a single of his own to right-center.
Facing a six-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth, Clarkson needed a momentum swing at the plate to get back into the game and would get exactly that thanks to five hits in the half-inning to knot the score at 9-9 and send it to extras. The Yellowjackets would get the first out of the inning on the first at bat but two batters later, Joe Figliolino sent a towering fly ball over the right field fence for a two run homer, scoring Mason who had reached on another single of his own, to make it 9-5. Rochester would immediately get the second out of the inning after the dinger but a single and two straight walks meant that the bases would be loaded with two outs and the hot bat of Merrow stepping up to the dish. Merrow would keep his streak going, sliding a double down the left-field line that managed to just stay fair and empty the bases as the game would go to extras with the score tied at nine.
The visitors quickly regained their footing in the top half of the tenth as they would bring across four runs of their own on two hits to give themselves another chance to ice the game in the bottom of the tenth. Mason and Cartier would both double in the bottom half of the frame but Rochester would force a fly-out and two groundouts to keep their lead intact and take game one, 13-10.
Cartier led the way at the plate in game one for the Knights going 4-6 with two runs batted in while Mason finished with a 3-6 performance to go along with three runs. Merrow would knock in three RBIs of his own.
In game two, both teams would enter the scoring column in the first inning as Clarkson answered a one-run top of the first with a lone run of their own. Merrow would double before David Harris singled to move the freshman into scoring position with one-out. Mason would hit into a fielder's choice in the next at bat but the ball would be deep enough to score Merrow and make it 1-1.
Clarkson again would have to provide an answer for a two-run top of the fourth from the Yellowjackets as a Figliolino single through the left side would be followed by a Cartier double deep down the left field line, making it 3-2.
Rochester managed to add another in the top of the fifth but Clarkson again played spoilers late-on, driving in two-runs of their own in the bottom of the eighth to tie proceedings at 4-4. A single, fielder's choice and single to start the eighth put runners on first and second with one out for Vardion to force the Yellowjacket infield to make a play with a grounder to the shortstop. The throw from short to second in an attempt to get the force would go errant and allow Figliolino to round third and score to bring it back to a one-run affair. With runners advancing to second and third following a wild pitch and Zach Rider forcing a two-out walk to load the bases, Aidan Kuefner would follow by drawing a walk of his own as Cartier was able to jog across home to send the game into the ninth at 4-4.
Despite the late push, the Yellowjackets managed to bring across two more in the top half of the ninth off the back of a series of throwing errors from the Knights before closing out the bottom half of the inning with a groundout, fly-out and popup to seal the final and complete the sweep on the day.
Kuefner, Merrow and Cartier led Clarkson at the plate in the nightcap as each hitter finished with two base knocks each as part of a top half of the lineup that played a heavy role in the offense on the weekend. Harris, Mason and Figliolino accounted for the remaining three hits while Kuefner, Mason and Cartier would each drive in a run as well.
James Nelson would receive the win in both game one and game two on the mound for Rochester, both in relief, while the offense for the Yellowjackets ended the weekend with 20 hits on day two.
