ROCHESTER, NY — The RIT baseball team (8-6, 4-1 Liberty League) continued its strong offensive prowess, taking game one of a weekend series against Vassar College (5-10, 0-3 Liberty League), 13-3 at Tiger Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
RIT's bats continued to stay hot with 18 hits. Seven different players had at least two hits.
Phil Sammon (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) and
Mike Myers (Hamlin, NY/Brockport) led all players with three runs batted in each, as both players had two hits as well. Myers hit his second home run of the year.
Navada Waterman (Coudersport, PA/Coudersport),
Will Gorman (Nassau, NY/Columbia),
Brett Kajganich (North Royalton, OH/Holy Name),
Daniel Zeglen (Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville),
Daniel Capra (North Salem, NY/North Salem), and
Jason Schulz (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) all added one RBI apiece. Waterman and Schulz each added a game-high three hits. Eight different Tigers scored runs in the game.
Brian Reed (Rochester, NY/Penfield) got the start for the Tigers, as he went six full innings, striking out six, and allowing three runs on seven hits to pick up his third win of the season.
Nick Claver (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) came in and earned his first collegiate save, pitching three innings of scoreless relief, allowing just two hits, and striking out three batters.
"We played a very solid defensive game again," said RIT head coach
Rob Grow. "(Brian) Reed battled early on and we followed that up with a lot of great at-bats today."
For Vassar, Matt Martino, Daniel Bonfiglio, and Robert Pinataro each had an RBI, while eight different Brewers registered hits. Pinataro hit a pinch-hit home run. Vassar used four different pitchers in the game. Jake Silver made the start, allowing six runs on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings.
The bats were hot from the beginning for both the Tigers and Brewers. Vassar put up two quick runs in the top half of the first inning, on RBI singles by Martino and Bonfiglio. The Tigers then answered with four runs of their own in the bottom half. Sammon hit a bases loaded double to center field, driving in all three runners to make it 3-2. Myers followed with an RBI single three batters later, as RIT led 4-2 after the first inning.
The next inning and a half was scoreless, but RIT took control in the bottom of the third. Zeglen, Capra, Schulz, and Waterman drove in runs, including a deep triple to right center field off the bat of Schulz. RIT took an 8-2 lead into the fourth, and added two more runs in the fifth on a long home run over the right center field wall by Myers that made it a 10-2 RIT.
A lead-off home run by Pinataro in the sixth would cut Vassar's deficit to seven, but RIT came storming back offensively again in the seventh. Waterman, Gorman, and Kajganich all drove in runs, scoring Capra, Schulz, and Waterman, making it a 13-3 game after seven innings.
Claver made sure Vassar would get no closer, allowing the bullpen to stay fresh for tomorrow's doubleheader.
RIT and Vassar will be back at it for a doubleheader from Tiger Stadium at 12 p.m. on Sunday.
Live stats will be available for both games.
