In four highly contested games over the weekend at Yale Field, the baseball team went 2-2 against the University of Albany.
Hosting double headers Saturday and Sunday, the Bulldogs (8-9) took the opening game both days by scores of 4-3 and 6-3, but fell in both nightcaps 7-5 in extra innings Saturday and 14-11 Sunday.
On Saturday, Randy Leonard ’04 led the way on offense while Steven Duke ’03 and Josh Zabar ’06 beat up the Great Danes’ (6-12) pitching staff yesterday.
In the series’ first game, Duke, the team’s captain, took matters into his own hands with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning with the score knotted at three.
Albany pitcher Shawn Ryan’s delivery passed catcher Chase Muratore and Duke raced home to get the win for the Elis 4-3. Duke stole two bases in the game.
Leonard, who entered the weekend third on the team in batting averages at .308, went 2-3 in the game, scoring two runs. Darren Beasley ’03 delivered two RBIs in the win.
Alec Smith ’06 picked up his first career win in relief.
In the nightcap, things went down to the wire again; the Bulldogs lost in extra innings. Tony Vallone hit a 2 RBI triple off of Colin Ward-Henninger ’05 to give the Great Danes the lead for good.
Albany’s Ryan redeemed himself after taking the loss in the first game, pitching 3.2 innings in relief, giving up two hits and no runs en route to the win.
Leonard was strong at the plate again, going 3-5 with three RBIs, while Dave Fortenbaugh ’03, who led the team batting at .370 heading into the weekend, went 3-3.
On Sunday, it was the same story for the Elis, winning the first game and losing the second.
In Yale’s 6-3 victory, Josh Showers ’05 turned in a strong performance on the mound, getting the win by going 6.1 innings and giving up just three earned runs.
At the plate, two freshmen combined for half of the Elis’ runs: John Janco ’06 took advantage of his only at bat, ripping a two run double. After Duke scored on a wild pitch, Zabar, 2-3 in the game, knocked in a run with a single to cap the four run sixth inning that sealed the win for the Bulldogs.
In the fourth and final game of the series, Eli pitching could not stop Albany designated hitter Jason Martin, who went 5-5 with six RBIs.
Zabar continued his strong play, going 2-4 with a homerun and 3 RBIs in a losing effort.
The Great Danes jumped on reliever Doug Shimokawa ’04 in the fifth inning, scoring five runs.
Yale responded in the bottom of the fifth, with Zabar’s homerun and a two-run double from Fortenbaugh, his only hit of the game.
The Great Danes struck back with a three run seventh, giving them a four run lead.
The Elis nearly made a comeback, bringing the tying run to the plate, but Albany reliever Mike Mueller ended the game with a strikeout and pop out off of Zabar’s bat.
The Bulldogs head to the University of Connecticut Wednesday to face the Huskies (12-8).