Outfielder Nick Parenteau went 7-for-11 including a home run, and first baseman Dan Quinn had eight RBIs to lead the RPI baseball team to four UCAA victories this weekend. Parenteau was given Baseball Performer of the Week honors for his exceptional play, and Brian Rickert was named Baseball Pitcher of the Week.
The Red Hawks defeated the Skidmore Thoroughbreds 12-3 and 12-5 Friday and the Union Dutchmen 9-5 and 8-2 Saturday before losing to the Cortland Red Dragons 10-5 Sunday. RPI now boasts’ a 15-9 overall record and, after this weekend, currently stands atop the UCAA with a 4-0 conference record.
Despite the Red Hawks’ success against their UCAA opponents, recent losses to nationally-ranked Cortland and Ithaca led to RPI falling off the American Baseball Coaches Association/Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division III Poll.
In the first game against the Thoroughbreds, Skidmore started off with a two-run homer by Mike Godlewski.
The Red Hawks took the lead in the bottom of the third with Marc Shumsker, Pete Neylan, Mike Passante, and Ryan Meron scoring runs.
The Thoroughbreds scored again in the top of the fourth, but it was not enough to catch the Red Hawks. In the bottom of the fourth, Passante, who went 3-for-4 in the game, singled, allowing Shumsker to score and Quinn hit a three RBI double to put RPI up 8-3.
Parenteau had a solo home run, and Shumsker and Neylan scored in the fifth. Joe Ihnatoyla scored the final RPI run in the sixth inning.
Chris Sullivan pitched five very strong innings allowing only three runs on six hits to earn the victory.
The second game did not start well for Skidmore’s Max Ruby; he allowed three hits, walked five, and hit two batters after only facing 16 batters. RPI took advantage of Ruby, scoring four runs including a game-tying three-run homer by Ihnatoyla. Brian Harrison took over for Ruby in the third.
RPI took the lead in the fourth when Ihnatoyla drove in Meron from second base.
Thoroughbred Tim Ryan tied the game once more with a solo home run in the fifth inning, but the Red Hawks continued on the offensive. Brian Marine and Shumsker scored in the fifth to put the Red Hawks up by two.
Passante scored on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth, and Collin Adalian capped off the game with a three-run homer.
Charles Yarnold got the win and Rickert the save for RPI.
The Union Dutchmen jumped out to the early lead in the first game Saturday with Adam Chadwick scoring on a sacrifice fly after two early errors by the RPI infield got him to third.
The Red Hawks took the lead in the third inning, scoring three unearned runs. Catcher Daniel Mehleisen took the second error for Union in the inning, allowing Adalian to reach first after striking out. Shumsker, Passante, and Adalian scored to take a 3-1 lead.
Mehleisen scored in the top of the fourth to bring the game back within one, but Parenteau scored another unearned run to put the lead back to two.
Meron, Quinn, and Cochran scored in the fifth inning. Union pitcher Cory Spicer continued to allow unearned runs, as Marine also scored, bringing his total unearned runs to five.
Union began to mount a comeback in the sixth inning with Mehleisen, Mike Flanagan, and Kyle Murphy scoring. Rickert came in to relieve Brian Brzek and finished the inning with two quick outs.
Quinn homered in the bottom of the sixth to put RPI ahead 9-5. Brzek got the win for RPI.
Freshman Luke Calzone was the star of the second game, allowing only one run on four hits and striking out 13 in eight innings. Calzone leads the team with 38 strike outs. Calzone and catcher Jason Pollard have been performing excellently this season for the Red Hawks. “[The freshmen] are getting the job done,” commented Brzek.
RPI took charge of the game in the fourth, scoring seven runs over the next five innings. Parenteau, who went 4-for-4, homered in the fourth to score three runs. Ihnatoyla doubled in the fifth, driving in Quinn and Cochran. Marine and Parenteau tallied runs in the eighth to finish out the scoring for RPI.
Rickert relieved Calzone in the ninth inning. Rickert allowed one run before striking out the last batter to end the game 8-2.
The Cortland Red Dragons stopped RPI’s winning streak at six games with a 10-5 win over the Red Hawks Sunday.
RPI and Cortland were tied at three after two innings, with Jimmy Basnight, Will Groff, and Nick Wilson scoring for Cortland and Passante, Adalian, and Parenteau scoring for RPI.
The Red Dragons pulled ahead as the game progressed, scoring three runs in the third and four runs in the fifth. Adalian hit a double in the seventh to allow Shumsker and Pollard to score, cutting the lead to five. Pollard went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Shumsker also went 2-for-4 with an RPI and a run scored.
The Red Hawks are playing today against New Paltz at Robison Field at 3:30 pm. Vassar will be at RPI Friday at 2 pm for another conference doubleheader. The team will be on the road Sunday against another UCAA foe, Rochester, at 12 pm.
