HOBOKEN, N.J. (April 26, 2009) – Senior second baseman Matt Girnys went 1-for 2 on the day with three runs batted in and a pair of runs scored as the Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team brought its season record back to .500 (17-17) after the Ducks closed out the weekend sweep (4-0) of Utica College taking two away from the Pioneers on Senior Day. Stevens won Game 1, 16-15 in the bottom of the seventh off the bat sophomore catcher Denis Ackermann. Girnys came through with a two-out two-run double in the first game to put Stevens up by two (9-7) in the bottom of the fifth. The Ducks came out on top in the nightcap, 10-2 as Stevens is now 7-7 in Empire 8 play. Senior first baseman Dan Silva batted 2-for-6 with five runs scored for the Ducks.
Game 1 – SIT-16, Utica-15
After Utica battled back from a four-run deficit in the seventh to tie it at 15-all, junior centerfielder Mark Rasulo led off the bottom of the seventh with a standup double down the left field line. He then advanced to third on a passed ball. After junior right fielder Russ Grimes walked and stole second, the Ducks had men on second and third with one out. Ackermann stepped to the plate and roped a single that hit off the right field fence as Rasulo came in to score the game-winning run.
Stevens picked up where the Ducks left off in yesterday's outings as freshman second baseman Tom Phillips launched his fourth homer of the season to bring Stevens to an early 1-0 advantage. Rasulo reached base on a walk and worked his way to third on a failed pickoff attempt that landed in dead-ball territory. He was then plated on an infield hit off the bat of Grimes.
The Pioneers were able to post a run to the board in the top half of the second as sophomore infielder Adam Bittel (New Hartford, Conn.) blasted his fifth homerun of the season, a solo shot to right field to bring the game to a 2-1 score in favor of the Ducks. Following a scoreless third, Utica tacked on six runs in the top of the fourth to take a five-run lead (7-2). Sophomore infielder Chris Hine (Brick, N.J.) led the inning off with a homer over the left field wall, his second of the season. In Bittel's second at-bat, he stepped to the plate and roped a three-run blast over the right field wall to clear the base pads. The Pioneers scored two more runs that went down as unearned to end the six-run inning.
However, the Ducks responded in the bottom of the frame to post four runs and cut the deficit to just a run (7-6). After sophomore third baseman Ken Meerendonk led off the inning with a double down the left field line. He would come around to score on a failed pickoff attempt that landed in the bleachers. Ackermann reached base on a fielder's choice and would then come in to score on a throwing error by the shortstop. Phillips stepped to the plate a few batters later with the bases loaded, as he drew a walk to plate senior first baseman Dan Silva.Junior left fielder Anthony Andrews was driven in by Rasulo to plate the sixth run for Stevens.
Stevens blew the game open in the fifth as the Ducks came away with seven runs, including a grand slam by Meerendonk. The first run of the inning came on a bases loaded wild pitch that got away from the catcher to allow Ackermann to swipe home. It was then Girnys that delivered a two-out two-run double to right centerfield to clear the bases and put Stevens on top by two (9-7). Three batters later, Meerendonk launched his sixth homerun of the season with the bases juiced to put the Ducks up by six runs.
Utica made things interesting in the top of the sixth as the Pioneers brought the margin within a pair of runs off a four-run performance all with two outs. Hine singled down the left field line to plate sophomore infielder Charlie Cumella (Ridgefield, N.J.) and Bittel. The ensuing batter, junior catcher Russ Haentges (Cowlesville, N.Y.) lined a double to the gap in left centerfield to score Hine and sophomore infielder Andrew Diaz (Brooklyn, N.Y.) to bring the contest to a two-run game (13-11). Once again the Ducks had an answer for the Pioneers. Stevens added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom half of the sixth. Andrews lifted a sacrifice fly to right field that drove in the tagging Ackermann. Then a squeeze play was on with Girnys at the plate. He laid down a nice sacrifice bunt towards the first base line to plate Silva for the Ducks' 15th run of the game.
Again, Utica would not go away easy as the Pioneers tied the contest at 15-all off a four-run seventh inning. With the bases loaded and one out, an error by the shortstop allowed for senior infielder Kelvin Cabrera (Hoboken, N.J.) to come in to score for Utica. Sophomore catcher Jonathan Meyer (Pittsford, N.Y.) roped a single through the left side of the infield to drive in Cumella. The Pioneers knotted the ballgame at 15-15 off a two-run single up the middle from Hine. Utica ended the inning as the squad left a pair of runners on base.
Girnys and Meerendonk led the way for Stevens having driven in seven runs between the two. Meerendonk registered four off of his grand slam, while Girnys knocked in three. Phillips batted 1-for-2 with three walks and a pair of RBI. Meerendonk finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored, as Ackermann, Silva and Rasulo each tallied three runs apiece.
For the Pioneers, Meyer went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI, while Hine batted 4-for-4 with five RBI and a pair of runs scored. Bittel batted 3-for-4 with four RBI on two homeruns and three runs scored. Freshman pitcher Rudy Morin got the win for his two-thirds of an inning pitched after he relieved sophomore pitcher Kyle Hanas. Freshman pitcher Justin Buckely (Mexico, N.Y.) came in during the fifth as he was tagged with the loss (0-1), having gone 1.1 innings, including the game winning run in the bottom of the seventh.
Game 2 – SIT-10, Utica-2
After a scoreless first inning, the Pioneers struck first in Game 2 to jump out to a 2-0 lead. With two outs, sophomore third baseman Anthony DiSalvo (Washingtonville, N.Y.) reached base on a single through the left side of the infield. Cabrera then blasted his second homer of the season, a two-run shot over the left field wall. Stevens was ale to post a run in the bottom half of the inning as freshman catcher T.J. Alcorn came in to score off an RBI groundout to the right side by freshman third baseman Chris Coutros.
Following a scoreless third, Alcorn led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo shot over the right field wall to knot the game at 2-all. Back-to-back singles by Silva and Coutros put a pair of runners aboard as Andrews stepped to the plate and jacked his second homer of the season to clear the base pads and give Stevens a 5-2 advantage. The inning did not end until Meerendonk drove in Phillips off a double to right field for the fifth run of the rally.
Stevens matched the effort in the fifth as they once again batted around the order. With one out and the bases loaded, Silva swiped home on a wild pitch as each of runners advanced 90 feet. Following a pitching change, Phillips lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to plate the tagging Coutros for the second run of the inning. With men on first and second, Rasulo doubled to right field to drive in Andrews from second. Girnys would come around to score on an unearned run off a fielding error by the second baseman.
Freshman pitcher Vincent Vinci got the nod and went the distance for Stevens having pitched all seven innings, struck out nine batters as he rendered five hits and gave up two earned runs. Sophomore pitcher Sean Fisher (Walton, N.Y.) went 4.1 innings, allowed eight earned on seven hits to earn his fifth loss of the season (1-5). Andrews finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored. Alcorn, Silva and Coutros each scored two times for the Ducks in the nightcap. The Pioneers were led by Cabrera, who drove in both of the runs for Utica as he finished 1-for-2 in the contest.
Stevens returns to action on Monday when the Ducks travel to Newburgh, N.Y. to take on the College of Mount Saint Mary, scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.
