Albany, NY – Russell Sage College's baseball team opened their three-game Empire 8 series with Keuka College on Friday afternoon. Despite tying the game in the bottom of the fifth inning at 3-3, the Wolves collected the 6-3 Empire 8 win. RSC is now 13-18 overall and 6-7 in the Empire 8, while Keuka is 6-17 overall and 2-8 in the conference.
RSC slowly chipped away at Keuka who had a 3-0 lead as the Gators came to bat in the bottom of the third. RSC's sophomore Dom Caminitti (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) singled with one out before sophomore Brendan Espinal (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) added a shot to left field that scored Caminitti and cut into Keuka's lead.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, sophomore Zachary Figueras (Apolka, FL/Windermere) singled to right field and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Cole Paro (Wolfeboro, NH/Kingswood Regional). Caminitti singled to center field before senior James Lubanski (Port Washington, NY/Paul D. Schreiber) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Espinal tied the action at 3-3 as he collected an RBI single to centerfield.
Unfortunately for the Gators, Keuka tacked on three in their next at-bats and despite lead-off walk in the bottom of the ninth, could not send any runners across the plate to even the score.
Left handed sophomore Liam Doyle (West Sayville, NY/Connetquot) worked five innings, allowing five earned runs off of eight hits with two walks and strikeouts and had a no decision. Doyle leads the Gators this season having struck out 43 batters and continues to add to the young Gator baseball record book as he now has 79 career strikeouts and has worked in 86.1 innings over the last two seasons.
Sophomore Michael Karpinski (Ballston Spa, NY/Saratoga Springs) suffered the loss and is now 3-2 after 4.0 innings of work with one earned run, two walks, a strikeout, a wild pitch, a hit batter and a balk.
Keuka's Jared Bickley worked a complete game in earning the victory and stands at 2-1 this season.
RSC hosts Keuka College Saturday, April 22 in a double header. The first game, a seven-inning contest has first pitch set for 11 a.m. and the second game will follow and in a nine inning affair.
A year ago the Gators were 14-27-1 in their inaugural campaign and will look to surpass that victory total this week with eight regular-season games left on the schedule.
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