Baseball | 4/3/2011 3:32:03 PM

Click here for game one stats

Click here for game two stats

ITHACA, NY - Senior pitcher Mike Marsillo (Scottsdale, AZ/Desert Mountain) threw a three-hit shutout, leading the RIT baseball team (7-9, 1-1 Empire 8) to a 7-0 over Ithaca in game one of a doubleheader at Freeman Field on Sunday afternoon.  Ithaca (7-7, 1-1 Empire 8) would rebound to win game two, 6-4, snapping RIT's four-game winning streak.

Marsillo was brilliant, allowing singles in the first, third, and fifth innings, keeping the Ithaca bats quiet.  His only trouble came in the first inning, when he walked David Ahonen, then allowed a hit to Trevor Wolf.  Ahonen tried to score all the way from first base, but was gunned down at the plate after a great relay from right fielder Ben Robertson (Mecklenburg, NY/Trumansburg) to second baseman, Ronnie Canestro (East Amherst, NY/Nichols), who then fired to catcher Dave Kernan (North Syracuse, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) who applied the tag.

Marsillo improved to 3-1 on the season.  He walked two and struck out five batters, lowering his earned run average to 2.90.  He has four straight complete games, and has allowed just six earned runs over his last 27 innings of work.

The Tigers got on the board in the first inning, as Dave Kernan (North Syracuse, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) doubled home Kreag Bradley (Victor, NY/Victor), who also doubled.  RIT made it 2-0 in the fourth inning, when Ed Hughes (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) singled in Kernan.

RIT exploded for five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to put the game away, with the big hit coming from Ben Robertson (Mecklenburg, NY/Trumansburg), who plated a pair of runs with a bases-loaded single.

Justin Smith (Livonia, NY/Livonia) was 2-for-3 and stole his 11th base of the season.  Bradley and Hughes also recorded a pair of hits apiece for the Tigers, who out-hit the Bombers, 10-3.  Hughes also stole his third base of the season.

In game two, RIT led 3-2 after three innings, but could not hold on.  With the game tied at four in the top of the seventh, Ithaca's Teegan Baresi doubled in a pair of runs to give Ithaca the win.

Once again, RIT pounded 10 hits in game two.  Smith was 3-for-3 with two more stoien bases, a run scored, and run batted in.  Smith was 5-for-6 on the afternoon with three stolen bases.  He is hitting .435 with a team-best 13 steals in just 16 games. 

Hughes was 2-for-3 for the second straight game.  Jon Meyer (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Sutherland) also drove in a run for the Tigers,

Frank DiPinto (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) started for RIT, allowing four hits and two runs in 2 1/3 innings.  Charles Yarrington (Rochester, NY/Pittsford Sutherland) allowed one hit and one run in 1 2/3 innings.  Canestro pitched the final three innings, taking the loss, allowing three runs on three hits.

RIT was the home team despite the games being played in Ithaca.  The games were supposed to be played at RIT, but were moved to Ithaca because RIT's field was unplayable.

The two teams will meet once more this season at RIT.  The date and time has not been determined as of yet.

RIT returns to action on Thursday, as they travel to play Hilbert in a doubleheader that gets underway at 1 p.m.