After a brief layover following its hectic spring break, the RPI baseball team returned to the field Thursday and picked up right where it left off, defeating Stevens Tech in commanding fashion.
The offense, led by designated hitter Nick Parenteau, combined for four home runs that lifted the Red Hawks (6-3) to an 11-0 victory.
Coach Karl Steffen acknowledged that the field at Stevens had a lot to do with the offensive fireworks his team set off. “[We] took advantage of the real short porch in right field,” he said. The right field wall at Stevens Tech is only 250 feet away from home plate.
When the team arrived at Dobbelaar Field in Hoboken, N.J., they didn’t even know if they would be playing due to field conditions. “We got a late start,” Steffen explained. “It took us a little out of our comfort zone.”
By the time the decision to play came, the team basically had to get off the bus, and take the field; there wasn’t much time for warm-ups. Steffen was very impressed by the way his squad responded to this situation, though.
The offense took very little time to get on the board. After Dan Quinn singled to start the second, Rich Mundy sent a blast over the left field wall to give the Red Hawks an early 2-0 lead. After three consecutive singles, including a bunt hit by Jason Pollard that showed RPI can play small ball when it needs to, a pitching error by Stevens pitcher Chris Burgess increased RPI’s lead. Burgess was called for a balk while trying to pick off a runner. Parenteau, who was on third base, scored.
Burgess’ pitching woes continued into the next inning when he walked leadoff man Joe Ihnatolya, and then allowed him to advance to second on a wild pitch. Ryan Meron made him pay, taking him over the fence in right to give the Red Hawks a 5-0 advantage.
Meanwhile, freshman starter Tim Klein was cruising. In the fifth, he overcame the only error RPI made all day, a throwing error by third-baseman Ihnatolya, by getting out of the innning unscathed.
Klein picked up his first collegiate win, throwing a complete game shutout. “[Tim] has great location,” Steffen enthusiastically commented on his pitcher. “He can pitch the ball to both sides of the plate, and not just throw strikes, but throw to the batter’s weaknesses.”
Klein has yet to allow an earned run in his three appearances, including two starts, and opponents are batting .164 against him.
During RPI’s half of the fifth frame, they chased Ducks starter Chris Burgess after he walked Dan Quinn. His replacement, Joe Martin, didn’t fair any better, however. Following two wild pitches and two more walks, the bases were loaded for Parenteau. Parenteau crushed the ball over the center field fence, a distance that Steffen said would have amounted to a home run at their home field too. Parenteau’s grand slam extended the lead to nine for the Red Hawks.
Parenteau didn’t stop there. In the top of the seventh, he homered again, this time over the short fence in right. Steffen said that it “would only have been a double in [our park].” Parenteau was named Performer of the Week by the Liberty League for his offensive explosion. He finished 3-for-4 with the two home runs, and five runs batted in.
Klein kept cruising. After a leadoff single by Stevens Tech in the sixth, he retired the final 11 batters he faced. “[He] seemed to get stronger as the game progressed,” recalled Coach Steffen. Klein allowed only five hits, and picked up nine strikeouts, earning him Pitcher of the Week honors from the league.
RPI’s game against Oneonta St. on Tuesday was postponed due to weather. However, RPI has three doubleheaders this week, including home games on Thursday against Castleton St., and Sunday when they will host RIT. Steffen isn’t worried about playing six games in four days, though.
“Our pitching staff is deep,” he stated. He feels that getting in as many games as possible before league play begins will benefit his team. “The more opportunities you get to get game experience, the better you are.”
