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Clarkson University Athletics

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Men's Baseball March 16, 2018

Clarkson Baseball Opens Season with Split Versus UMass-Dartmouth

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
Auburndale, FL – Junior Brad Pearson drove in three runs in the opener and senior Andrew Smith threw eight strong innings in the nightcap as the Clarkson University Baseball team opened its season with a doubleheader split against UMass-Dartmouth on Friday afternoon, gaining an 8-5 win in game one and dropping a 4-3 decision in extra innings in game two.

The Golden Knights opened up with a solid impressive display in the first two innings. In the opening frame, Nolan Duda led off with a walk and stole second and was followed by a Will Coleman single. Pearson delivered a single to plate Duda and two batters later Nate Burns added a run-scoring single to make it 2-0. Pearson then scurried home on a wild pitch to put Clarkson up 3-0. The Corsairs scored in the bottom half of the first, but the Knights added two more in the second. Duda worked a two-out walk and moved up to second on a failed pickoff attempts. After Coleman was hit by a pitch, both he and Duda advanced on a passed ball, setting up a two-run single by Pearson>

Both teams were relatively silent on offense in the next three half-innings, but each team added to their run totals in the fourth. Joe Stockman drew a one-out walk and Coleman sent him around on a two-out double to put Clarkson up 6-1, but the Knights saw their lead drop to three runs when Mac Curran hit a two-run homer to center in the bottom half of the fourth. However, the Knights weren't done in the top of the fifth, plating two more. Burns was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on a double from Ben Knauf, and then scored on a wild pitch. Knauf, who advanced to third on the wild pitch that scored Burns, was sent home on a sacrifice fly by Vincent Granuzzo. In the bottom half of the fifth, Mitch Baker hit a solo homer for UMass-Dartmouth, and the Corsairs added an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh.

Coleman went 2-for-3 in the opener and Pearson was 2-for-4 with three runs driven in. Ryan Riley picked up the win striking out three in four innings. Mark Connor came on in relief for the Knights in the fifth and whiffed six over the final three frames.

In game two, Andrew Smith suffered through one tough inning, but otherwise pitched well enough to get the win, allowing nine hits overall with no walks and six strikeouts in eight-plus innings. Smith was staked to a three-run lead in the first four innings as the Knights scored once in the first and twice in the fourth. Burns led off for Clarkson with a double to right-center in the bottom of the first and moved around the bases on groundouts from Coleman and Pearson to put the Knights up 1-0. In the bottom of the fourth, Zack Riccardi doubled to left and came around on a Granuzzo single up the middle, while Ben Knauf scored on a groundout from Joe Stockman.

In the top of the sixth, the Corsairs solved Smith for three runs with a string of singles. Erick Ramirez led off with a single, but Smith struck out three-hitter Kenny Michael and looked poised to wiggle out of another jam. However, Mitch Baker, Pat Vartanian and Mac Curran each found holes in the Clarkson defense with groundball singles, with the latter two hits driving in runs. Mike Knell then lifted a sac fly to score the third run and tie the game at 3-3.

The two teams would exchange zeroes in the seventh to move on to extras. The Corsairs led off the ninth with a single from Knell, finally chasing Smith. Two outs later, Nate Tellier tripled to center to score Knell and give UMass-Dartmouth its first lead of the day. The Knights went down in order in the bottom of the ninth to settle for a split.


 
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Players Mentioned

Will Coleman

#8 Will Coleman

RHP/UT
6' 0"
Sophomore
R/R
Ben Knauf

#24 Ben Knauf

OF
6' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
Andrew Smith

#2 Andrew Smith

RHP
5' 10"
Sophomore
R/R
Nolan Duda

#14 Nolan Duda

OF
5' 9"
Freshman
L/L
Brad Pearson

#25 Brad Pearson

C
5' 11"
Freshman
L/R
Vincent Granuzzo

#29 Vincent Granuzzo

LHP/IF
6' 1"
Freshman
R/L
Ryan Riley

#34 Ryan Riley

RHP
6' 1"
Freshman
R/R
Mark Connor

#20 Mark Connor

RHP
6' 1"
Sophomore
R/R
Zack Riccardi

#23 Zack Riccardi

IF
6' 2"
Sophomore
R/R
Joe Stockman

#10 Joe Stockman

IF
6' 2"
Sophomore
R/R

Players Mentioned

Will Coleman

#8 Will Coleman

6' 0"
Sophomore
R/R
RHP/UT
Ben Knauf

#24 Ben Knauf

6' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
OF
Andrew Smith

#2 Andrew Smith

5' 10"
Sophomore
R/R
RHP
Nolan Duda

#14 Nolan Duda

5' 9"
Freshman
L/L
OF
Brad Pearson

#25 Brad Pearson

5' 11"
Freshman
L/R
C
Vincent Granuzzo

#29 Vincent Granuzzo

6' 1"
Freshman
R/L
LHP/IF
Ryan Riley

#34 Ryan Riley

6' 1"
Freshman
R/R
RHP
Mark Connor

#20 Mark Connor

6' 1"
Sophomore
R/R
RHP
Zack Riccardi

#23 Zack Riccardi

6' 2"
Sophomore
R/R
IF
Joe Stockman

#10 Joe Stockman

6' 2"
Sophomore
R/R
IF