Potdam, NY - Senior righthander Dan Hojnacki (Attica, NY) came back with a four-hitter in the nine-inning affair for the Clarkson University Baseball team to help give the Golden Knights a split in a Liberty League doubleheader against Skidmore with the Thoroughbreds taking the first game, 7-6, and the Knights winning the nightcap, 12-1, Friday afternoon at Snell Field.
The Golden Knights maintained their first-place showing in the conference, improving to 14-9 overall and 5-1 in league play, while Skidmore continued to hold second, moving to 14-11 overall and 4-2 in conference.
Clarkson starter Andy Noonan (Central Square, NY) and the rest of the Knights' pitching corps struggled with their control throughout the first contest, as the first three pitchers combined to allow just five hits, but seven walks and three hit batsmen. Skidmore was able to get on the board in the third, fourth and fifth innings to take a 3-0 lead. The Golden Knights countered with four runs in the bottom of the inning, but three consecutive walked batters led to the tying run and Skidmore picked up the go-ahead runs with a fielder's choice and a two-run double to give the Throughbreds a 7-4 lead. Clarkson came up with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but with runners on first and third and only one out, Skidmore second baseman Rob Hutchison made a lunging stab at a liner from Stefan Casey (Waterbury, VT) and was able to double off the runner at first to end the threat and the game.
Noonan went four innings, allowing just four hits, but he walked four and hit another batter. Matt Rivers picked up his fifth win of the season for the Thoroughbreds, allowing five earned runs and eight hits while striking out three.
Brandon Barcomb (Cadyville, NY) continued his hot hitting for the Golden Knights, going 3-for-4 with two RBI. Rob Cowin (Albany, NY) also had a multi-hit day, going 2-for-3, while JJ Lorence (Liverpool, NY) drove in three runs. Skidmore's Tim Ryan went 1-for-3, but he drove home three runs.
In the second game, Hojnacki was dealing from the beginning, striking out 10 through the first five innings. He allowed four htis and finished with 13 strikeouts, with his only major blemish being a solo home run by Evan McNamara, who went 2-for-4, to lead off the fourth. The complete-game effort was Hojnacki's second nine-inning complete game of the season.
Clarkson's offense was more consistent in the second game as the Knights pounded out 16 hits. Barcomb was 2-for-4, Lorence went 2-for-4 with three runs, and Cowin went 3-for-5 with a pair of runs and RBI. The main hitter for Clarkson in the second game was senior Mike Onisk (Baldwinsville, NY) who went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and a two-run double to help put the game out of reach in the later innings. John Smith (Hermon, NY) and Brian Theilemann (Troy, NY) also enjoyed multi-hit games.
