Clinton, N.Y. - Needing just two runs to win game one while exploding for ten in game two, the Clarkson University Baseball team earned a 2-0 and 10-6 sweep of Hamilton College, Saturday afternoon.
Clarkson improves to 3-1 while Hamilton drops to 0-4. The Knights will return to action at Hamilton on Sunday, meeting Oswego State for a single game with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m.
Game one turned out to be a true pitching battle right as both teams would combine for just six hits. The Golden Knights would strand just one runner on base in the first and second innings before Joe Figliolino was left stranded 90 feet from home in the top of the fourth after a leadoff single. Jacob Shirley made quick work of the Continentals lineup, gaining the first 10 outs of the game on the defensive end before allowing a base runner in the bottom of the fourth.
Two strikeouts to start the fifth for the Knights then led to Kyle Ventola earning a four-pitch free pass. Aidan McQuire would then pinch run for Ventola and advance to third following a stolen base and throwing error from the Hamilton catcher. Hamilton would successfully clean up a dropped third strike on the next at-bat however, to continue to stifle any scoring for Clarkson.
Following another two left on base in the sixth, CJ Cartier and James Chagnon would lead off the seventh with back-to-back walks and then advance to second and third following a perfectly executed sac bunt from McGuire. Seth Albert would then hit into a fielder's choice that would plate the first and only two runs of the game for Clarkson as Cartier and Zach Rider who had pinch run for Chagnon, came across to score. CJ Kanick entered the game in the bottom of the seventh on the mound and managed to get the final three outs despite surrendering a single and hitting a batter, keeping the 2-0 final intact.
Shirley would be awarded the win on the mound for the Knights, striking out seven and walking just one through six innings of work while never allowing a runner past second. Kanick surrendered just one hit and forced two groundouts while gaining the save. Aden Soroca gave up just two hits while striking out seven in the loss for the hosts in the opener.
In game two the Knights wasted no time jumping out to an early advantage in the top of the first. With bases loaded and no outs, Joe Figliolino rocked a single through the left side to bring one run across while David Harris would single in the next at bat to immediately load the bases back up. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Beau Vardion scored James Mason from third and another single from Chagnon up the middle added another two to make it 4-0. With runners on first and second Hamilton managed to briefly get out of a bind getting the second out following a passed ball but CJ Cartier would eventually score in the same play coming around from second on the catcher's error and an errant throw from the pitcher.
The Continentals finally broke into the scoring column for the first time of the afternoon scoring two runs in the second, both off of throwing errors from the Clarkson defense. A quick second inning from both teams would be followed by a three-run bottom of the third from Hamilton as the hosts managed to capitalize on two well-hit doubles in the half-inning to knot the score at 5-5.
Despite two early outs and a lone runner on second, Clarkson would go on to add another two runs in the top of the fifth. Chagnon would get on after wearing a pitch which would lead to a Cameron Barbulean walk to juice the bases with Hamilton needing just a single out. Aidan McGuire would then earn a walk in the next at-bat to bring CJ Cartier across to score easily and another wild pitch from the Continentals allowed James Chagnon to score, making it 7-5.
David Harris brought James Mason in to score in the top of the sixth after Mason had reached third on throwing errors from the Hamilton infield to make it 8-5 but the hosts would cancel that out in the bottom half of the inning to make it 8-6. CJ Cartier singled to start the top of the seventh before a Cameron Barbulean single along with another throwing error from the hosts would help to advance him to third. Seth Albert would then single to left field which brought both runners around to home to make it 10-6. Hamilton managed just one single in the bottom of the inning as a groundout and two flyouts provided Clarkson with the sweep on the day.
Ryan Petrie would earn the win on the mound going 3.2 innings in relief. Petrie allowed just two hits from the 15 batters faced following up a four strikeout start from Nate Hartley. Colin McMahon would be handed the loss in a five-pitcher effort for the Continentals, giving up two earned runs in just one inning. Albert, Vardion and Cartier all produced multi-hit efforts for the Knights with Albert and Chagnon both driving in two runs apiece.
