AMSTERDAM, N.Y. – To finish off a wild weekend series where all three games came down to the final out, Russell Sage College baseball split a doubleheader with SUNY Poly on Sunday, falling 5-4 in game one and winning game two 6-5 in walk-off fashion on a Leandro Guzman (New Britain, CT/New Britain) single.
The Gators had a chance for another wild finish in game one, but left the bases loaded in the bottom half of the seventh.
Junior outfielder Brendan Espinal (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) hit his second big fly in as many days, this time a three-run shot that put the Gators ahead in the third inning. Espinal added two singles to his line to continue his impressive campaign.
Guzman went 1-2 with a double and a walk. The junior outfielder scored following his two-bagger on an RBI-single from junior catcher Cole Paro (Wolfeboro NH/Kingswood Regional).
Junior infielder Dom Caminitti (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) added a seventh-inning single to the scorebook.
Matthew Denatale (Rhinebeck, NY/Rhinebeck), a grad student, got the start for RSC, striking out one in his five innings of work.
Three Wildcats contributed multi-hit games in the victory.
Andrew Soule was awarded the win on the mound, striking out five Gators in 5.2 innings.
The Gators bounced back in the second game of the afternoon, ending in dramatic fashion as Guzman ripped a one-out single to drive in junior infielder Jeff Stearnes (Vergennes, VT/Vergennes Union) in extra innings. The knock followed a hard single by junior outfielder Jared Russell (Colonie, NY/Colonie), putting Stearnes 90 feet away from sealing the deal for RSC.
Junior infielder Zachary Figueras (Apopka, FL/Windermere) squared the count at two with a third-inning solo homer over the centerfield wall. In the next frame junior infielder Nick Marsella (New Hyde Park, NY/New Hyde Park Memorial) hit a single driving in Russell giving RSC a 3-2 lead.
Espinal extended his hitting streak to seven games with a 5th inning single, and came around to score on a two-run opposite field blast by grad student James Lubanski (Port Washington, NY/Paul D. Schreiber), giving the Gators a 5-2 lead.
SUNY Poly (9-12) tied the game at three thanks to a 6th inning double by Carter Roman. Junior pitcher Michael Karpinski (Ballston Spa, NY/Saratoga Springs) came into the game from the bullpen following the double and was dominant, throwing three shutout innings with one punchout and only allowing one hit, which opened the door for the Gators to walk the ballgame off in extra innings.
Looking ahead, RSC (11-12) goes on the road for a midweek matchup at SUNY Brockport on Wednesday.
Gator Bites: Now its third season as a program, RSC looks to continue to climb the Empire 8 Conference ladder in 2024…The Gators, which returned all 10 starters, were the runner-up in the 2023 E8 Championship Tournament…Outfielder James Lubanski (Port Washington, NY/Paul D. Schreiber), a grad student, and junior pitcher Liam Doyle (West Sayville, NY/Connetquot) headline the returnees…Lubanski was named third-team All-Region by the American Baseball Coaches Association, while Doyle, a righty, topped RSC in innings pitched and ERA last spring…Junior outfielder Brendan Espinal (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) was selected the Empire 8 Conference Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday, March 10…He slashed .559/.941/.595 during the team's Florida trip…Espinal totaled 12 runs scored, 10 RBI, 32 bases, and six doubles across the nine games.
Gator Golf: The 19th Annual Gator Golf Classic will be held May 31, 2024. More Information: https://www.
