TROY, N.Y. – Russell Sage College baseball scored 34 runs on the way to sweeping visiting Alfred in a Saturday afternoon Empire 8 conference doubleheader.
The Gators took the seven-inning opener 9-3 with six of those nine coming over the first three frames.
Seven Gators found their way into the hit column in the opener, three contributing multi-hit performances.
Junior outfielders Brendan Espinal (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) and Jared Russell (Colonie, NY/Colonie) both went 2-4 with two runs batted in. Junior infielder Zachary Figueras (Apopka, FL/Windermere) had two hits and drove in a run.
Junior Liam Doyle (West Sayville, NY/Connetquot) got the win on the bump for the Gators, punching out seven in 5.1 innings of two-hit ball.
Cameron Brought hit a double and Michael Ciardiello hit an RBI-single for the Saxons.
The bats stayed hot in game two, as RSC (8-8/3-1 E8) scored nine in the first three frames on the way to a 25-5 victory in a seven-inning mercy rule finish.
Figueras led the charge once again, smoking two doubles off the right field wall on his way to a game-high five runs batted in performance.
Outfielder James Lubanski (Port Washington, NY/Paul D. Schreiber), a grad student, junior infielder Dom Caminitti (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac), junior infielder Jeff Stearnes (Vergennes, VT/Vergennes Union), and Espinal each contributed multi-hit games in the nightcap.
Matthew Denatale (Rhinebeck, NY/Rhinebeck), a grad student, was credited with the victory in game two, going five strong punching out three Saxons.
Alfred (1-13/0-5 E8) saw a two-homer, four-RBI performance from first baseman Jeff Petrozzini, and an RBI-double from Benjamin Weimer to front the offense.
Weimer also started the game on the bump, finishing with the loss after a 3.2 innings performance.
The teams conclude their three-game weekend series tomorrow afternoon at the Gutchess Sports Complex, located in Cortland, N.Y..
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.
