The Red Hawks fluttered this weekend as they began league play, managing to salvage splits with Union and Skidmore, but losing non-league contests to William Paterson and Western New England College for their second straight losing week in a row.
RPI began the week with a tough loss in New Jersey to William Paterson. Defensive errors in the second inning led to three unearned runs off freshman pitcher Joe Zongol, and ended up costing RPI the game.
In the second inning, a leadoff walk, an error by Joe Ihnatolya, and an error by BG Porter gave the Pioneers the lead. Zongol was chased that inning.
RPI relievers had an outstanding performance to keep the Red Hawks in the game. Six different pitchers held William Paterson to just two more hits in six innings, but the offense couldn’t claw back into it. In the third they picked up two runs on RBI singles by Ihnatolya and Dan Quinn but that was all they could muster.
The Red Hawks’ offense couldn’t get off the ground early in either of their doubleheader matches this weekend. They dropped the first game in both sets, 3-2 to Union, and 4-2 to Skidmore. They did, however, come back and win the second games in decisive fashion.
“The old adage is you sweep at home and split on the road. In that respect we just don’t want to get swept,” Head Coach Karl Steffen said. “Obviously playing local rivals like Skidmore and Union we would have liked to have won both.”
Union hosted RPI to open league play for the Red Hawks, and pulled out a come-from-behind victory, 3-2, in game one of the day.
Charlie Yarnold pitched the complete game for Steffen’s squad, but he received a loss due to Union’s two run rally in the eighth. The winning run crossed the plate from second base on a fly out because of an error by centerfielder BG Porter.
Tied at one going into the first extra frame, RPI had just captured the lead in the top of the eighth on a Rich Mundy single. That scored Ryan Meron who bunted to get on before reaching second on a throwing error.
The Red Hawks came back in the rematch to beat the Dutchmen 10-3. Chris Sullivan picked up his third win of the season with a complete game effort.
Steffen was very happy that his team didn’t get discouraged after losing the first game the way they did. “They went out and did what they had to do,” he praised.
Joe Ihnatolya led the offense, which scored two times in the first, and added three in the second and two more in the third, with four runs batted in. Rich Mundy chipped in with two RBIs of his own.
Sunday went much of the same way for RPI. Joe Zongol struck out thirteen batters in his six innings of work in the first game, but RPI fell to Skidmore, 4-2.
The offense stalled after picking up a run in the first. They added an unearned run in the third, but that was helped by an error, a wild pitch, and a catcher’s interference call.
When the second game began after the intermission, the offense looked totally different, posting two six-run frames and and a four-run inning as well. They scored at least once in all but two innings. Dan Quinn and Rich Mundy each hit a home run, and 10 RPI batters had multiple hits, as the Red Hawks compiled 24 throughout the game.
Tim Klein picked up the win in RPI’s 20-9 blowout, despite allowing seven runs in 5.2 innings. He cruised until the sixth, when Skidmore tried to get back into the game with a six run inning.
The Red Hawks offense however, was non-existent on Monday when they traveled to Massachusetts to meet WNEC. Ryan Meron had two hits, but RPI managed to scatter only five total across nine innings, losing 3-0.
“We’d like to put up 20 runs a game,” Steffen admitted. “[Many times] we were an inch away from breaking games open.”
Luke Calzone pitched a good game, but came up short. He allowed three runs on just four hits, but five walks hurt him.
Jason Connelly pitched the complete game shutout for the Golden Bears. He cooled down an RPI offense that is collectively hitting .360 for the season. It was the first time since April 3 of last year that the Red Hawks put a goose egg on the board.
RPI (13-11, 2-2 LL) will continue league play this weekend, hosting Rochester for a doubleheader on Saturday, and then traveling to Poughkeepsie to meet Vassar for two games on Sunday.
