Albany, NY – Russell Sage College hosted New York University on Sunday in a pair of non-conference games to close out both team's regular-season. NYU posted an 18-1 win in the first of the nine-inning games, and took the nightcap, 6-2. RSC stands at 16-23 heading into the 2023 Empire 8 Tournament as the No. 4 seed. NYU improves to 17-16 on the year.
Game # 1 NYU 18-1 RSC
NYU's graduate pitcher, John Gassler (Pittsford, NY/Sutherland) struck out 13 Gators to break NYU's single-game strikeout mark and held the Gators to just two hits. He improved to 5-4, working 6.1 innings with just one earned run.
RSC's Liam Doyle (West Sayville, NY/Connetquot) suffered the loss, dropping to 3-8after he gave up four earned runs off of five hits in 2.0 innings of work. Doyle leads the Gators having made 12 starts this year, with 52 strikeouts and has already worked in 52.2 innings in 2023. He is the program's all-time strikeout leader with 88 and is poised to become te first pitcher to strike out 100 batters.
Game #2 NYU 6-2 RSC
NYU jumped out to a 3-0 lead as the Gatos slowly cut the deficit to one run, down 3-2 in the bottom of the bottom of the eighth inning and had the bases loaded with one out and could not tie the game. NYU's Alex VanLandingham had a solo homerun in the top of the ninth, while Cam Dunn and Max Oliviera each doubled in the inning to give the Violets the 6-2 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth RSC had a chance as with two out, senior James Lubanski (Port Washington, NY/Paul D. Schreiber) added a double but the Gators could not capitalize on the baserunner.
RSC's pitcher, graduate player Matthew Denatale (Rhinebeck, NY/Rhinebeck) got the nod as the starter and worked 3.0 innings with three earned runs, three strikeouts, and six hits as he drops to 4-3.
Lubanksi continues to lead the Gators as he now has a single-season 15 doubles to go with his 30 runs scored with 70 total bases. Sophomore Don Caminitti (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) was 2-for-4 with a run scored in the action.
Sophomore Brendan Espinal (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) leads the Gators with 20 stolen bases, another active single-season mark for RSC. He also has 49 hits with a team-best 33 RBI's.
RSC will travel to top seeded St. John Fisher University for the 2023 Empire8 Tournament, which runs May 11-13.
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