Baseball Drops Two To Ithaca

4/2/2010 12:00:00 AM

HOBOKEN, N.J. (April 2, 2010) – The Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team dropped a pair of games to defending Empire 8 champion Ithaca College, falling 7-1 and 4-0 in a doubleheader at Dobbelaar Baseball Field in Hoboken, N.J. The Ducks are now 8-12 on the season with a 0-2 league ledger, while the Bombers improved to 4-9 on the year and 2-0 against league opponents. Stevens' twinbill with Ithaca scheduled for Saturday, April 3 has been moved to the Diamond Nation Campus in Flemington, N.J.

Junior Kenneth Meerendonk went 3-for-6 on the day, while senior Anthony Andrews finished 2-for-4 with a pair of walks. Junior Denis Ackermann had a 2-for-6 outing, while sophomore second baseman Tom Phillips had a pair of hits – including a double. Fellow sophomore Chris Coutros recorded the Ducks' lone RBI.

In game one, Ithaca starter Tom Fishback (Webster, N.Y.) held Stevens to five hits, striking out six and walking just one batter in a complete-game victory. The Bombers scored one run in the first and were able to take a 4-0 lead thanks to a three-run second inning. Shortstop Matt Keller (Pelham, N.Y.) was hit by Meerendonk to start the inning and second baseman Jarrod Surrine (Trumansburg, N.Y.) doubled to put runners on second and third with no outs. The Bombers pushed their first run across after a Stevens error. After a strikeout, leftfielder Matt Streich (East Greenwich, R.I.) singled in a run before a fielder's choice gave Ithaca its 4-0 edge.

The Bombers went up 5-0 in the third thanks to a Surrine homer, and the Ducks got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Ackermann singled to lead things off and leftfielder Andrews followed with a walk. Stevens senior shortstop Eddie Daniele reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases, before Coutros hit a sac fly to centerfield, but that would be it for the Ducks.

Ithaca tacked on two runs in the fifth inning thanks to a two-run home run off the bat of right fielder T.J. Abone (Rome, N.Y.).

Stevens put runners on in the fifth, sixth, and seventh but could not find the big hit to break through. Center fielder Mark Rasulo, first baseman T.J. Alcorn, Meerendonk, Ackerman, and Andrews had the Stevens hits.

Meerendonk went five innings, giving up seven runs (six earned). Sophomore John Martelle went two scoreless innings in relief for Stevens.

First baseman Trevor Wolf (Freeville, N.Y.) and Surrine had two hits apiece for Ithaca, which totaled six in the opener.

Ithaca again struck first in game two, with a Jon Krakower (Albany, N.Y.) lead-off homer to right center. Stevens loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning, with one out, but failed to push a run across as Bomber starter Tucker Healy (Needham, Mass.) worked out of the jam, preserving the 1-0 lead.

After a scoreless second, Ithaca tacked on a pair of runs in the third on a David Ahonen (Farmington, N.Y.) RBI single to right and a one-out Abone RBI single. Ithaca would again cross the plate in the fourth on a Mike Armstrong (Penfield, N.Y.) RBI single, scoring Keller, making it 4-0.

Stevens threatened in the bottom of the sixth after back-to-back Meerendonk and Ackermann singles put two aboard with one-out, but Healy worked his way out of trouble, getting a much needed strikeout before ending the inning by inducing a grounder to short.

Healy went six-strong in the win, scattering six hits, while striking out eight. Freshman Tyler Courter went five innings, allowing four runs in the loss.

Meerendonk and Phillips each had a pair of hits, with Andrews and Ackermann chipping in with a pair of singles.

Ahonen and Abone each went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Armstrong finished 1-for-2 with an RBI. Krakower wrapped things up with a 1-for-3 day, driving in a run, while scoring twice.
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