Kings Point, N.Y. – Russell Sage College's baseball team opened its 2023 season on Sunday afternoon taking on the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in a pair of seven inning games. The Mariners (4-0) took the first game 14-6 and then escaped with a 3-2 win in the night cap.

The Gators fell behind early as the Mariners scored three runs in the bottom of the first and added four more in the bottom of the second. RSC chipped away at the deficit as several players had success at the plate.

Senior James Lubanski (Port Washington, NY/Paul D. Schreiber) went 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored, while sophomore outfielder Leandro Guzman (New Britain, CT/New Britain) drove in a run and added a stolen base. Freshman Owen Murphy (Fairport, NY/Fairport) drove in a run with his pinch hit single to left field in the seventh inning and had a stolen base in the action.

RSC's starting pitcher Cameron Anderson (Clifton Park, NY/Burnt Hills), a graduate student, worked 1.2 innings and allowed seven runs off nine hits in taking the loss (0-1).

In the night cap, RSC jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the first. Sophomore outfielder Jacob Coonan (Wynantskill, NY/Averill Park) led off with a walk and stole second. Guzman also drew a walk before Lubanski had a double to left field to score the pair and spot the Gators to a 2-0 lead.

USMMA tied the action with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning and the score remained knotted at 2-2 until the bottom of the seventh inning.  

RSC's sophomore pitcher Liam Doyle (West Sayville, NY/Connetquot) had allowed just three hits heading into the bottom of the seventh. Eric Darling drew a walk before Kellen Brown had a triple to right field scoring Darling and giving the Mariners the win.

Doyle worked 6.1 innings and allowed only four hits while striking out seven. He allowed just two earned runs and a pair of walks in the action.

Up next for RSC (0-2) is ten games down in Florida between March 4-11.

Notes: 2023 marks the second season for the program…The Gators reached the semifinals of the Empire 8 Conference Championship Tournament in their inaugural spring…22 players returned to the squad…Sophomore pitcher/infielder Liam Doyle (West Sayville, NY/Connetquot), sophomore infielder Andrew Knapp (Nanuet, NY/Nanuet), and sophomore outfielder Leandro Guzman (New Britain, CT/New Britain) highlighted the group of returning players.

#SageNation