Skidmore Thoroughbreds Out Run Baseball

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – The MCLA Baseball team played their second non-conference opponent in as many days this evening, welcoming the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds to Joe Wolfe Field. Skidmore used two big innings to take control of the game early before a parade of Thoroughbred pitchers held on for the win. MCLA's Chris Vargas had a home run and a stolen base to go with three RBI in the defeat.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Wednesday, April 17, 2024
• Score: Skidmore 14, MCLA 7
• Records: Skidmore College Thoroughbreds 15-10 (Liberty 6-2) | MCLA Trailblazers 5-18 (MASCAC 2-6)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Skidmore College jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, scoring four runs in the first inning and exploding for an eight spot in the third inning before adding single runs in the fourth and sixth innings.
• MCLA scored in the bottom of the second, cutting the deficit to 4-1, when Chris Vargas hit a one-out solo bomb to left center field.
• The Trailblazers offense did come alive towards the end of the game, scoring in each of the final three innings. It was one run in the seventh, two in the eighth, and three in the ninth.
• Vargas was the catalyst for the seventh-inning run, working a one-out walk. Two batters later, Clayton Dutfield lined a hit towards the three-and-a-half hole, which was knocked down by the second baseman; however, after knocking the ball down, it kicked off the second bagger's leg into foul territory down the rightfield line. By the time the ball was corralled, both Vargas and Dutfield had advanced an extra base. Brady Hamel brought Vargas home with the unearned run with a sac fly to the right fielder in the right-center field gap.
• In the bottom of the eighth, Clarence Givhans literally took one for the team to reach first after taking a pitch off his right arm. Matt Damon advanced Givhans with a single down the left-field line and Rob Correia brought him home with an RBI single back up the middle. Damon then scored on Vargas' RBI fielder's choice to third that wiped Correia off the base paths.
• Another free pass started MCLA's ninth-inning rally, with Bobby Lane watching a 3-1 pitch be off the plate. A ground ball to the third baseman by Damon was picked up, but the throw went into the runner, allowing Damon to reach and Lane to move to third base. Both Correia and Vargas were forced to wear a pitch, with Vargas' HBP forcing Lane home. A sacrifice fly to right field by Ty Mazzeo brought Damon home. The final Trailblazer runs scored when Dutfield's grounder to the shortstop went under the charging infielder's glove as Correia crossed the plate.
• Seven pitchers combined to limit the Trailblazers to only five hits while striking out eight. Starting pitcher Peter Martin picked up the win, improving to 2-0 on the season. MCLA starter Joe Sardo was saddled with the loss, falling to 0-1.
• It wasn't all doom and gloom for the Trailblazers' pitching staff. Four relievers (Jaden Palumbo, Aiden Brett, Garrett Brunette, and Mathew Belfance) each picked up three strikeouts, with three of them (Brett, Brunette, and Belfance) doing so in only one inning pitched.

UP NEXT:

On Friday, MCLA will be back in action when they travel to Fitchburg State for a MASCAC matchup with the Falcons at Michael P. Riccards Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.

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