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Ninth-inning rally lifts Saints baseball to crucial sweep of Union

Posted 4/25/16

A two-run rally in the ninth inning of Sunday's nightcap clinched a 5-4 come-from-behind win for Saints baseball and helped complete the sweep of the Dutchmen after a 10-3 win in game one behind a …

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Ninth-inning rally lifts Saints baseball to crucial sweep of Union

Posted

A two-run rally in the ninth inning of Sunday's nightcap clinched a 5-4 come-from-behind win for Saints baseball and helped complete the sweep of the Dutchmen after a 10-3 win in game one behind a solid outing from starter Dan Hedden on the mound.

It is the first time the Saints have swept a doubleheader this season, as they improve to 12-18 overall and 10-10 in conference games after taking three of four this weekend. They're currently sixth in the Liberty League standings with four conference games remaining.

While Hedden got the win in game one allowing just two runs on three hits and tying his season-high of six strikeouts in five and two-thirds innings, reliever Liam Rogers got the win in game two after pitching one and two-thirds innings of hitless baseball. He finished with three strikeouts, including one to end the game.

Starter Evan Reichel gave up three runs to the Dutchmen in the first inning of game two, but followed it up with six scoreless innings before being relieved by Rogers with one out in the eighth. He allowed four runs on seven hits with one strikeout in seven and a third.

At the plate, junior Adam Reichel led the Saints with a 3-for-4 performance in the opening game with an RBI and two runs scored. Mic Regan was the only Saint with a multi-hit game in game two; going 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Anthony Butler scored a pair of runs including the game winner.

Trailing 3-0 in the late innings of the nightcap, the Saints put three runs on the board in the top of the sixth inning on two hits and an error to pull even.

Butler singled to lead off the inning and advanced to third on heads up base-running in the next at bat, as a ground ball hit by Beau Yaremko was mishandled by the Union third baseman and skipped into left field.

After a walk to Tom Sullivan loaded the bases, Isaac Lewis hit s sac fly to center to score Butler for the Saints first run. Regan followed with an RBI double to right that plated Yaremko, and an RBI groundout by Michael LeFevre brought Sullivan in as the tying run.

The Dutchmen regained the lead with a run in the bottom of the eighth, setting up the St. Lawrence come back in the ninth.

Adam Reichel was hit by a pitch in the leadoff spot and Devin Robson reached on a fielding error by the center fielder on a routine fly ball the allowed him to move to second

and put Reichel on third.

After a pitching change for Union, Butler worked a walk to load the bases with no one out. Yaremko hit a slow roller to the mound that set up a force on Reichel at the plate for the first out of the inning, but the catcher threw the ball away trying to complete the double play at first and Robson scored to once again tie the game for the Saints.

Tom Sullivan drove in the game-winning run with a ground ball to second and hustled down the line to beat out a throw and spoil Union's bid for an inning-ending double play.

Rogers retired the Dutchmen in order in the bottom of the ninth to clinch the win.

In the first game, the Saints held a 2-1 lead through four innings and would add a combined eight runs in the fifth and sixth to put the game out of reach for Union.

All of the Saints five runs in the top of the fifth came with two outs with the help of three hits and three crucial Union errors. With Lewis on third, LeFevre worked a walk to put runners on the corners for Kyle MacDonald.

MacDonald hit a pop fly behind first base that was dropped, allowing Lewis to score and LeFevre to move up two bases. Adam Reichel followed with an RBI single to left and Robson hit a two-RBI single to center to conclude the score in the inning.

In the top of the sixth, Sullivan and Lewis led off with back-to-back singles and Regan reached on an error to load the bases with no outs. A two-RBI single to center by LeFevre made it 9-1 St. Lawrence and an RBI groundout by MacDonald in the next at bat helped the Saints plate their 10th and final run in the win.

St. Lawrence is slated to play five non-conference games in the next two weeks before finishing the regular season with a four-game Liberty League series against RPI.