SCHENECTADY, NY – Siena Baseball scored eight unanswered runs in the opener and erupted for nine runs in their final inning at bat in the nightcap to complete the three-game sweep of their MAAC-opening series vs. Saint Peter's at nearby Central Park. The Saints rallied to win the first game of Sunday's doubleheader 11-5, and ran away with a mercy rule 15-4 triumph in seven innings in the finale.
Game One: Siena 11, Saint Peter's 5
Siena (5-16, 3-0) scored eight unanswered runs capped by a go-ahead six-run eighth to take the middle game of the series.
Alex Milone and
Vincenzo Castronovo punctuated the decisive inning with a two-run single and a three-run homer, respectively.
The Saints trailed Saint Peter's (3-17, 0-3) by a score of 5-3, but tied things up in the home half of the seventh. Milone forced in a run on an RBI groundout, and freshman
Matt Kenney followed with his first collegiate hit – an RBI double – to square the score at 5-5.
Siena batted around in the eighth, and took the lead on a bases loaded hit batsman of
Devan Kruzinski, before the ensuing two hitters – Milone and Castronovo – quickly put the game out of reach. Milone finished with four RBI in the contest, while
Nick Hohenstein homered for the second straight game as a part of a 2-4 effort with both a pair of runs scored and RBI.
Meanwhile
Ben Seiler struck out a career-high 16 batters over eight-plus innings to earn the victory on the mound.
Game Two: Siena 15, Saint Peter's 4 (7)
The Saints sent 13 men to the plate during a decisive nine-run sixth to secure their seventh straight win over the Peacocks.
Matt Livingston highlighted the onslaught with a pair of separate two-run singles in the inning.
Siena only tallied three hits but worked six walks – including four straight bases loaded free passes – during a lengthy bottom of the sixth inning, which they had entered harboring only a modest 6-4 lead.
The Saints pounded out 13 hits, with Livingston leading the way with a 4-5 performance, with three runs scored and five RBI. Castronovo, Hohenstein, and Kruzinski each added a pair more hits to cap strong weekends, with Castronovo also scoring three times.
Siena continues its season-long nine-game homestand Wednesday vs. Fairleigh Dickinson at 3 p.m.
