HAMBURG, N.Y. — The Keuka College Baseball team opened the 2024 season on Friday afternoon with a pair of games against Hilbert College.
In a pair of games played at Frontier High School, Keuka College (0-2) was swept by Hilbert College. The Wolves dropped the opener 7-3 and fell in game two 11-2.
Hilbert College 7 vs. Keuka College 3 – Game One
Hilbert loaded the bases in the first inning and then cleared them with a double for an early 3-0 lead. The Wolves got one run back in the third. Tyler Lewandowski (Milltown, N.J. / Spotswood) tripled to start off the inning. He then scored on a groundout by Ian Ruhmel (Horseheads, N.Y. / Horseheads) to make it 3-1.
The margin was expanded by the Hawks as they scored four in the bottom of the inning to extend the lead to 7-1. Keuka had a quick answer in the next half-inning. Matt Vaccaro (Fayetteville, N.Y. / Fayetteville-Manlius) beat out an infield single to start the inning. Kole Schmerder (Vestal, N.Y. / Vestal) then brought him home with a two-out double.
Keuka College got one more back in the sixth. Kyle Wood (Newark, N.Y. / Newark) led off with a single. He advanced on an error and scored on a double by RJ Murphy (Syracuse, N.Y. / West Genesee), but that would close the scoring for the Wolves as Hilbert closed out the 7-3 victory.
Lead Wolf: Senior pitcher James Fino (Buffalo, N.Y. / Bishop Timon) kept the Hawks at bay when he entered the game. Fino entered in the fourth inning and immediately got a double play to escape the inning. He then added perfect innings in the fifth and sixth innings. Fino finished with 2.2 innings pitched in relief without allowing a base runner and struck out three.
Hilbert College 11 vs. Keuka College 2 – Game Two
Keuka College had a pair of hits to start game two but were unable to cash in. In the bottom of the inning, Hilbert got a two-run home run for the early lead. They then added six more in the second for an 8-0 lead.
The Green and Gold got single runs in the sixth and seventh, but Hilbert also added to their total with a run in the fifth and two in the sixth. The Hawks completed the sweep, winning game two 11-2.
Lead Wolf: Carlos Fantauzzi (Canandaigua, N.Y. / Canandaigua Academy) accounted for two of Keuka's four hits in the nightcap. The junior outfielder singled and doubled for the Wolves. He also scored one of Keuka's two runs.
KC Notes:
- Keuka College is now 20-11 all-time against Hilbert College. Despite the winning record, the Wolves are 6-9 when playing on the road against the Hawks
- The Wolves are now 6-22 in season-opening games
- RJ Murphy recorded a hit for the Wolves in both games
- The leadoff single by Kyle Wood in game one was his first in a Keuka College uniform
- Anders Axelson (Lansing, N.Y. / Lansing) pitched a hitless inning for the Wolves in game two
Up Next for Keuka College: The Wolves have a week off before their next game. Keuka College is on the road next weekend playing in a three-game series at Centenary University in New Jersey. It will be the first-ever meeting between the Wolves and the Cyclones.