HOBOKEN, N.J. (April 2, 2011) – The Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team opened Empire 8 play by splitting a doubleheader with St. John Fisher College on a picture-perfect Saturday afternoon at Dobbelaar Field in Hoboken, N.J. After dropping the opener 2-0, the Ducks came back to win the nightcap 6-2 thanks to a strong pitching performance from sophomore starter Kevin Mathews and a clutch three-run homer in the sixth inning off the bat of junior left fielder Ryan Kiczek.
In game two, the Ducks (4-12, 1-1 Empire 8) plated single runs in the first and second innings. Junior second baseman Tom Phillips was hit by a pitch and proceeded to steal second and third base to start the bottom half of the opening frame for the Ducks. After a strikeout, senior catcher Denis Ackerman grounded out to drive in the first Stevens run of the day.
Junior shortstop Corey Linden ripped a one-out single to left in the second and quickly swiped second base. After a Kiczek walk, Linden was gunned down trying to take third but Kiczek was able to advance to second on the play. Sophomore third baseman Tyler Courter drew a walk before Phillips came up big with a two-out run-scoring single to center to put the Ducks on top 2-0.
Fisher (10-5, 1-1 Empire 8) cut the lead to one thanks to an RBI single from junior Steve Karnyski (Lancaster, N.Y.) in the third and was able to draw even when sophomore Ben Bostick (Rochester, N.Y.) drove in Karnyski on a fielder’s choice with one out in the sixth inning.
With the score tied at two apiece in the sixth, the Ducks were able to push across three runs when they needed it most. Ackerman led off the inning with a bullet of a double in the left-center field gap to set the table, and senior center fielder Russ Grimes reached on error to put runners at first and third with none out. Senior TJ Alcorn laced a run-scoring to single to left field to put the Ducks up 3-2, and following a sacrifice bunt and a groundout, Kiczek delivered a towering shot to left-center for his second home run of the season and a 6-2 Stevens lead.
Senior Kyle Hanas sent down the Cardinals in order in the ninth to preserve the win for Mathews who improved to 3-2 on the year. The sophomore went 6.0 innings, giving up five hits and two earned runs. He struck out six and walked three.
Sophomore Matt Mika (Victor, N.Y.) went the first five for Fisher, allowing two runs on four hits. Sophomore Aaron Benton (Gowanda, N.Y.) came on in the sixth and gave up four runs (one earned) on three hits. Karnyski and junior Ben Ward (Bloomfield, N.Y.) each collected two hits in game two to lead the Fisher bats.
St. John Fisher’s freshman lefty Justin D’Amato (Canandaigua, N.Y.) was the story in the opener, throwing a complete game two-hitter with 12 strikeouts and just one walk.
Fisher scored in the third inning thanks to a one-out RBI single from senior Leo Fusilli (Penfield, N.Y.) and again in the sixth inning on a home run from Karnyski.
Courter started game one for Stevens and took the hard-luck loss (0-3). He went all seven innings, giving up two runs on eight hits. The sophomore walked none and struck out seven. Phillips and Linden had the Stevens hits in the opener.
The Cardinals and Ducks will put a wrap on their four-game Empire 8 series on Sunday with a doubleheader scheduled to get underway at 12 p.m. from Dobbelaar Field in Hoboken.