ROCHESTER, NY – Brandon Cohall (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas) had a record-setting day on the mound, and Daniel Zeglen (Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville) had a big day at the plate, leading to a RIT baseball team (8-5, 4-0 Liberty League) sweep of Clarkson (3-11, 0-4 Liberty League) at Monroe Community College on Saturday. RIT survived in a pitcher's duel in game one, 1-0, and scored six unanswered runs in a 7-4 victory in game two. RIT has now won six straight games, sweeping the season series against Clarkson.
In a scoreless contest entering the top of the seventh inning in the opener, Dom Scialabba (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick) reached base on an error by the right fielder, who dropped what looked to be a routine pop fly. The Tigers took advantage, as Zeglen ripped a triple deep into center field, scoring Scialabba with the game's first run. In the bottom of the frame, Cohall, RIT's starting pitcher, gave up a double to Brandon Knauf, but forced Chris Miller to pop out to Phil Sammon (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) to end the game.
Cohall finished off a three-hitter, allowing only a single walk and striking out five batters for his second victory of the season. The shutout, the fourth of his career, ties the all-time career mark, with former RIT baseball standout Mike Marsillo, who pitched for the Tigers from 2008-2011. Cohall has recorded a shutout in each of his four seasons with the Tigers.
Zeglen amassed two of the Tigers five hits. Zach Zabel (Clarence, NY/Clarence), Taylor Hogan (Rochester, NY/Brighton), and Benjamin Terzini (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) each reached base with a hit.
For the third time in four games, RIT had to come from behind in game two. Clarkson jumped to a three-run lead, scoring in each of its first three innings. Down 2-0 in the third, RIT got on the board. Hogan flied out to deep center field, scoring Terzini on the sac fly to cut the deficit in half.
Clarkson scored two runs in the bottom of the frame, opening the 4-1 lead, but RIT stayed resilient, tacking on three runs to tie the contest. A walk by Brian Battaglia (Sliver Spring, MD/James Hubert Blake) and a double by Scialabba set up Zeglen, who drove Battaglia in with a single up the middle. The next batter, Terzini, reached and drove in Scialabba on an error by the left fielder, who had trouble tracking the high fly ball, dropping it. Schulz then doubled to center field, scoring Zeglen and tying the contest.
RIT took the lead for good in the next inning. Zeglen ripped a pitch up the middle, scoring Scialabba and Battaglia, making it 6-4. The Tigers would add an insurance run in the ninth inning, off a single by Sammon.
Jameson Moran (Geneseo, NY/Geneseo) pitched four solid innings of relief, giving up only two hits and a walk, for his first collegiate victory. Brett Bouchard (Fairport, NY/Fairport) finished off the Golden Knights, striking out three batters and allowing two hits in three innings of work.
Zeglen finished his four RBI day, with a 2-for-5 performance at the plate in game two, driving in three runs. Scialabba, Will Gorman (Nassau, NY/Columbia), and Schulz each added two hits. The Tigers had 10 hits as a team, and walked five times.
RIT outscored Clarkson, 22-10 over the four game season series, as the Tigers improve to 54-36 all-time against the Golden Knights. The Tigers swept a Liberty League opponent for the first time since 2014, when they did so against Bard. The 4-0 start is the best start in conference play in 10 years.
"Any key to a really good season is winning the close games," said RIT baseball head coach Rob Grow. "We've shown that we are resilient and we can win at any time. Clarkson is a really good team, a playoff team, so we are happy with the result this weekend."
The Tigers will take on a pair of Rochester area foes, first heading to The College at Brockport on Wednesday for a single game, beginning at 4 p.m., then face St. John Fisher College in a weekend doubleheader at home on Saturday and away on Sunday.
