Clinton, NY – Both of Sunday's games had the game-tying run at the plate in the ninth as the Clarkson University Baseball team split its doubleheader against Hamilton College, dropping the opener 2-1 and winning the nightcap 9-8 in non-league action.
The Golden Knights improved to 2-1 on the season while Hamilton opened its season at 1-1. Clarkson is not scheduled to play again until its Florida trip, which begins on March 15th.
Sunday's opening game was a pitchers' duel with neither team putting a runner in scoring position for the first three innings of the contest. Hamilton finally changed that when Jackson Sattinger led off with a double in the bottom of the fourth and advanced around the bases on a fly out and a wild pitch, giving the Continentals a 1-0 lead. Clarkson challenged in the next half thanks to hits from Cam Jerrett and CJ Cartier, but that rally was squashed by Hamilton ace Jack Eshleman. The Continentals put runners on second and third in the bottom half of the inning, only to see Clarkson starter Nicholas Hofacker strike out Sattinger to end the threat.
Clarkson tied the game in the top of the eighth as Kent Wilson reached on a single and then advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt a few pitches later. Joe Figliolino then delivered a one-out single to plate Wilson. The tie would not last long, however, as Hamilton responded with a run in the bottom of the eighth. Pinch-hitter Lucas Herman opened the inning with a single and Chester Boynton replaced him as a pinch-runner. Boynton moved up on a wild pitch and a single advanced Boynton up to third. Sattinger did the rest with a sacrifice fly with what proved to be the game-winning RBI.
Hofacker took the hard-luck loss, tossing seven innings and allowing two earned runs in five hits while striking out five. Eshelman went seven scoreless frames, whiffing six. At the plate, Cam Jerrett had three hits and Wilson also struck for two hits.
Game two saw each team put up some crooked numbers in the middle innings to open things up. Hamilton scored a pair in the bottom of the first on a two-run homer by Sattinger and Clarkson got one run back in the second thanks to a CJ Cartier fielder's choice which plated Aidan Kuefner. The Continentals scored another in the third on a Sattinger sac fly, but the Knights took the lead in the fourth and opened things up with four more in the fifth. The first run in the fourth came on a Joe Pagano infield single and then three more came around on a Figliolino homer to left. Hamilton's Lucas Herman hit a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth, but the Knights quickly got that run and several more back in the fifth. Aidan Kuefner opened with a single then stole second and third. After a James Mason walk, CJ Cartier doubled to left to score one, and then Mason came around on a single to center by Pagano. Kent Wilson followed with a two-run double to make it 9-4.
Hamilton picked up four the bottom of the seventh, as Jackson Sattinger continued to be a tough out, doubling in a pair to put the tally at 9-6. A wild pitcher scored another run, and then Sattinger scored on a single to center by Shane Dux, making it 9-8.
Over the final two innings, Derrick Lewis was able to shut down Hamilton for the most part, getting three straight outs in the eighth and wiggling out of a first-and-third jam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth when he induced a ground out to end the contest.
Cole Riskin got the start for the Knights, but wasn't involved in the decision, allowing four runs on four hits over four innings while striking out three. Carter Gould got the win by pitching the middle innings in relief, and Lewis picked up the save with three scoreless frames.
Clarkson had 13 hits in the contest as the top of the order combined for seven hits and seven RBI. Pagano was 3-for-6 with two runs scored and two more driven in, Wilson went 2-for-6 with two RBI, and Figliolino finished 2-for-4 with three RBI. James Mason reached in five plate appearances with a pair of hits and three walks and CJ Cartier scored twice and drove in two thanks to two hits.
The Golden Knights improved to 2-1 on the season while Hamilton opened its season at 1-1. Clarkson is not scheduled to play again until its Florida trip, which begins on March 15th.
Sunday's opening game was a pitchers' duel with neither team putting a runner in scoring position for the first three innings of the contest. Hamilton finally changed that when Jackson Sattinger led off with a double in the bottom of the fourth and advanced around the bases on a fly out and a wild pitch, giving the Continentals a 1-0 lead. Clarkson challenged in the next half thanks to hits from Cam Jerrett and CJ Cartier, but that rally was squashed by Hamilton ace Jack Eshleman. The Continentals put runners on second and third in the bottom half of the inning, only to see Clarkson starter Nicholas Hofacker strike out Sattinger to end the threat.
Clarkson tied the game in the top of the eighth as Kent Wilson reached on a single and then advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt a few pitches later. Joe Figliolino then delivered a one-out single to plate Wilson. The tie would not last long, however, as Hamilton responded with a run in the bottom of the eighth. Pinch-hitter Lucas Herman opened the inning with a single and Chester Boynton replaced him as a pinch-runner. Boynton moved up on a wild pitch and a single advanced Boynton up to third. Sattinger did the rest with a sacrifice fly with what proved to be the game-winning RBI.
Hofacker took the hard-luck loss, tossing seven innings and allowing two earned runs in five hits while striking out five. Eshelman went seven scoreless frames, whiffing six. At the plate, Cam Jerrett had three hits and Wilson also struck for two hits.
Game two saw each team put up some crooked numbers in the middle innings to open things up. Hamilton scored a pair in the bottom of the first on a two-run homer by Sattinger and Clarkson got one run back in the second thanks to a CJ Cartier fielder's choice which plated Aidan Kuefner. The Continentals scored another in the third on a Sattinger sac fly, but the Knights took the lead in the fourth and opened things up with four more in the fifth. The first run in the fourth came on a Joe Pagano infield single and then three more came around on a Figliolino homer to left. Hamilton's Lucas Herman hit a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth, but the Knights quickly got that run and several more back in the fifth. Aidan Kuefner opened with a single then stole second and third. After a James Mason walk, CJ Cartier doubled to left to score one, and then Mason came around on a single to center by Pagano. Kent Wilson followed with a two-run double to make it 9-4.
Hamilton picked up four the bottom of the seventh, as Jackson Sattinger continued to be a tough out, doubling in a pair to put the tally at 9-6. A wild pitcher scored another run, and then Sattinger scored on a single to center by Shane Dux, making it 9-8.
Over the final two innings, Derrick Lewis was able to shut down Hamilton for the most part, getting three straight outs in the eighth and wiggling out of a first-and-third jam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth when he induced a ground out to end the contest.
Cole Riskin got the start for the Knights, but wasn't involved in the decision, allowing four runs on four hits over four innings while striking out three. Carter Gould got the win by pitching the middle innings in relief, and Lewis picked up the save with three scoreless frames.
Clarkson had 13 hits in the contest as the top of the order combined for seven hits and seven RBI. Pagano was 3-for-6 with two runs scored and two more driven in, Wilson went 2-for-6 with two RBI, and Figliolino finished 2-for-4 with three RBI. James Mason reached in five plate appearances with a pair of hits and three walks and CJ Cartier scored twice and drove in two thanks to two hits.