TROY, N.Y. – Freshman outfielder Leandro Guzman (New Britain, CT/New Britain) singled up the middle with the bases loaded to provide Russell Sage College a 9-8 walk-off victory in the second game of this afternoon's Empire 8 Conference doubleheader vs. St. John Fisher at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium.
He went 3-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI to help the Gators (11-21/7-7 E8) come back from a 6-2 deficit against the E8 conference leaders, which were on a seven-game winning streak. The rookie was one of six RSC players with multiple hits in the win.
The high-powered Cardinal offense, which entered the twin-bill by scoring 100 runs, 16.67 per-game, across its previous six contests, got started quickly, putting across three runs in the first. After RSC trimmed the deficit to 3-2, St. John Fisher (20-11/12-2 E8) regained control by batting around in a three-run fourth.
Freshman infielder Christian Brown (Troy, NY/Troy) helped keep the Gators within striking distance, singling home freshman infielder Andrew Knapp (Nanuet, NY/Nanuet) and catcher Dillon Maxon (Troy, NY/Tamarac), a grad student, in the fifth.
The Gators knotted the contest in the seventh on a two-run double by freshman infielder Joseph Salerno III (White Plains, NY/White Plains). However, SJFC quickly answered with a pair in the eighth. Maxon singled in Guzman in the eighth to half the margin.
After Brown led off the ninth with a walk, Salerno followed with a one-out single. Following a strikeout, freshman outfielder Jacob Coonan (Wynantskill, NY/Averill Park) singled to load the bases and set the stage for Guzman's heroics.
RSC fell in the opener by a score of 7-0 (seven innings). The Gators only managed two hits off of senior pitcher Alec Teska in the setback. Knapp laced a single, while freshman right-hander/catcher Dylan Scherillo (Drums, PA/New Dorp) doubled. The righty struck out nine in his complete game shutout.
Brown, freshman outfielder Diego Jimenez (Highland Mills, NY/Monroe Woodbury), Coonan, Maxon, Guzman (above), and Knapp were the half a dozen Gators to record multiple hits in the nightcap. Brown also drove in three runs, while Knapp was 3-for-7 with two runs scored on the day.
Junior infielder Noah Campanelli paced the Cardinals in the sweep, going 4-for-9 with three runs scored and two RBI.
The squads are slated to play a doubleheader Sunday at St. John Fisher. First pitch is set for 1:00 pm.
Notes: This afternoon marked the second walk-off victory of the spring for the Gators...Scherillo lofted a sac fly for a 10-9 win vs. Houghton on April 15...Knapp is batting .333 (7-for-21) with three runs scored and six RBI across the last six games.
Gator Golf Classic: The 17th annual Gator Golf Classic will be held on June 3rd at Colonie Country Club. Registration for the event is now open at: alumni.sage.edu/gatorgolf2022
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