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Forgione homers, Clarke wins again as Saints split with RPI

Posted 4/21/19

Cristian Forgione hit his first collegiate home run and he and Joe DeGuardia finished with three RBI apiece to lead the St. Lawrence baseball team to an 11-6 win in the first game of a Liberty League …

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Forgione homers, Clarke wins again as Saints split with RPI

Posted

Cristian Forgione hit his first collegiate home run and he and Joe DeGuardia finished with three RBI apiece to lead the St. Lawrence baseball team to an 11-6 win in the first game of a Liberty League doubleheader against Rensselaer on Saturday afternoon.

RPI edged the Saints 7-6 in game two to win the season series 3-1.

Junior Caleb Clarke pitched his second consecutive complete game in the win to improve to 2-1 and recorded a season-high eight strikeouts.

Rookie Andrew Circelli led the Saints with a combined 4-for-6 at the plate with his team-leading third home run of the season, four RBI and three runs scored, and was one of five Saints to finish with multi-hit games on the day.

Game 1 – St. Lawrence 11, RPI 6

The Saints jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning with five runs on four hits, including a bases-clearing double down the right field line from DeGuardia and Forgione's two-run shot to left field.

RPI cut the deficit to 5-3 with three runs on one hit, with the help of one St. Lawrence error, in the top of the second but the Saints responded with four more in the bottom of the frame to push the lead to 9-3.

With runners on the corners and no outs, Nicholas Butler hit an RBI single to left and Circelli followed with an RBI double to left center to make it a 7-3 game in favor of the Scarlet and Brown.

Later in the frame, Forgione singled to shortstop to drive in Circelli and Drew Courtwright followed with a sacrifice fly to short right field that allowed Anthony Butler to score the Saints' ninth run.

After RPI scored three runs on three hits in the top of the fourth, St. Lawrence pushed to the final 11-6 margin with two runs on an RBI hit by pitch to Courtwright and an RBI walk to Taylor Digilio.

Diglio, Nicholas Butler, Circelli, DeGuardia and Forgione each finished with multi-hit games in the win.

Clarke allowed six runs – four earned – on nine hits with eight strikeouts for St. Lawrence.

Game 2 – RPI 7, St. Lawrence 6

The Saints' late rally fell just short in the nightcap, as RPI built a 7-0 lead through six innings and St. Lawrence chipped away with five in the bottom of the seventh and one in the ninth, but the left the potential game-winning run on base to end the game.

Starter Cameron Morrissey pitched 5.0 innings for the Saints, allowing six runs – three earned – on nine hits with three strikeouts in the loss.

He was on the mound when RPI tacked on five runs on five hits with the help of three St. Lawrence errors in the top of the fifth inning.

After errors on consecutive plays to open the inning, the Engineers hit four straight singles before a double to left center by Jake Chekian extended the lead to 6-0. RPI added their seventh run in the top of the sixth, on a double to left center by Austin Lawrence.

St. Lawrence went to work in the seventh, all with two outs, as Digilio put the Saints on the board with an RBI single to right center that brought Alex Black in to score. Nicholas Butler followed with an RBI single to left center to make it 7-2 before Circelli drilled a three-run shot over the fence in left to pull the Saints within two at 7-5.

In the bottom of the ninth, St. Lawrence manufactured a run without recording a hit, as Nicholas Butler reached on an error, Circelli walked and Anthony Butler was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out.

DeGuardia drove in the Saints final run of the day to pull within one at 7-6 with a sac fly to center that plated Butler, but Forgione flied out to center to end the inning and the game.

Records – St. Lawrence (6-21, 4-12 LL); RPI (14-14, 10-6 LL)

Up Next – at Hamilton on Tuesday, April 23 at 4 p.m. in Clinton, New York