TWO WALK-OFF HITS GIVE KNIGHTS FIRST-EVER UCAA SWEEP OF RPI

April 24, 2004

Mike Onisk helped to lead Clarkson to a doubleheader sweep of UCAA rival RPI on Saturday - photo by Chris Lenney

Potsdam, NY – Junior J.J. Lorence (Liverpool, NY) hit a walk-off home run in the opening game and classmate Mike Onisk (Baldwinsville, NY) hit a walk-off single in the second game to help lead the Clarkson University Baseball team to its first-ever Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association (UCAA) doubleheader sweep of Rensselaer, winning 3-2 in nine innings in the first game and 2-1 in seven innings in the night cap.

The Golden Knights improve to 15-13 overall and 7-3 in the UCAA while Rensselaer drops to 19-13 and 5-3. The Golden Knights sweep of RPI was their first since 1986, before the UCAA was formed. It was also the first time that Rensselaer has ever been swept in the UCAA.

In the first game, junior righthander Dan Hojnacki (Attica, NY) pitched another complete game, going all nine innings and allowing only eight hits and two earned runs while striking out five and walking just one in picking up his fifth win of the season. The Golden Knights got on the scoreboard first in the opening game when Giovan Scialdone (Colonie, NY) forced home Brandon Barcomb (Cadyville, NY) with a bases loaded walk. The Red Hawks responded with two runs on back-to-back doubles from Joe Ihnatolya and Nick Parenteau in the fourth inning. Clarkson tied the game with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the inning from Scialdone, his first of the year. Neither team had a runner reach third in the final four innings until Lorence hit a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning off Brian Rickert. Luke Calzone and Rickert held down the Golden Knights offense for most of the game, allowing only five hits and combining to strike out 14.

In the second game, Andy Noonan (Central Square, NY) earned his third win of the season as he allowed only one earned run on four hits over seven innings, striking out six and walking none. Flynn Cochran started the scoring in the second inning when he hit a solo home run to left field to put the Red Hawks up 1-0. The Golden Knights were held down by Chris Sullivan for the first six innings as he allowed just six hits and with six strikeouts. Sullivan was pulled after allowing a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh inning for Rickert. Rickert allowed back-to-back hits, including a run-scoring check swing single from Chad Sydor (Troy, NY). After a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk, Rickert struck out John Smith (Hermon, NY) to record the second out before Onisk hit a 2-1 pitch past the third baseman to score freshman Jamie Tunison (Ithaca, NY).

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