Albany, NY – Russell Sage College's baseball team wrapped their three-game Empire 8 series with Keuka College as they took a 5-4 win in the first contest and added a 4-1 victory in the night cap. RSC is now 15-18 overall and 8-7 in the Empire 8, while Keuka is 6-19 overall and 2-10 in the conference. A year ago the Gators were 14-27-1 in their inaugural campaign under rookie head coach Nick Pontari. After Saturday's pair of wins, the 2023 Gators have surpassed that overall win total as they now have 15 with six regular-season games to be played.
Game #1 RSC 5-4 Keuka (7 Innings)
Keuka had a 2-0 lead after scoring a pair of runs in the top of the second inning. RSC cut the lead with a single run on the bottom of the third. The Gators scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth to have a 5-2 lead as sophomore Zachary Figueras (Apolka, FL/Windermere) had a three RBI double to center field to pace the Gators.
Offensively, senior James Lubanski (Port Washington, NY/Paul D. Schreiber) was 2-for-3, while sophomore Cole Paro (Wolfeboro, NH/Kingswood Regional) drove in a run and was 1-for-2.
Left handed Matthew Denatale (Rhinebeck, NY/Rhinebeck) threw six innings for the Gators allowing just two earned runs off of the four hits he gave up. He struck out six, walked four and earned the win to move to 3-2. Sophomore Jaylen Cuevas (Bronx, NY/Fordham Prep) picked up his third save of the year as he worked the seventh inning, allowing two runs, one of which was earned with a strikeout.
Game # 2 RSC 4-1 Keuka (9 innings)
RSC never trailed in the game as they scored a pair in the bottom of the second, a run in the third and another in the seventh to win, 4-1.
Sophomore Ricky Parks (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) fanned six and held Keuka scoreless in his time on the mound. He allowed just six hits and improves to 3-2. Graduate pitcher Cameron Anderson (Clifton Park, NY/Burnt Hills) threw two innings for RSC allowing one earned run off of four hits with a pair of strikeouts. Senior Will Simkin (Canberra, Australia) closed the game for the Gators, collecting the save as he allowed just one hit and struck out one as well.
The Gators got their offensive support from sophomore Frank Colletta (Holtsville, NY/St. John the Baptist) after he was 4-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Senior James Lubanski (Port Washington, NY/Paul D. Schreiber) drove in a run with a double, while sophomore Christian Brown (Troy, NY/Troy) banged in two runs and had a double. Figueras also had a double in the nightcap as the Gators combined for eight hits in the game.
RSC will travel to Skidmore College for a single non-conference game with the Thoroughbreds at 4 p.m. on April 26.
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