Baseball Topped By St. John's, 8-5
BOX SCORE
ALBANY, N.Y. – Leading 5-4 in the sixth inning, the University at Albany baseball team succumbed to an 8-5 defeat Tuesday at Varsity Field, as the visiting St. John's Red Storm stormed back for three unanswered runs in the final three frames. With the non-conference loss, the Great Danes dropped to 9-13 on the season, while St. John's improved to 19-12 overall.
UAlbany jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, as Will Miller drew a leadoff hit by pitch and advanced on a balk, setting up Alex Lushkevich's RBI double to left. Craig Lepre's RBI grounder to short brought in the second run of the inning.
In the second, St. John's reciprocated on Jarred Mederos' two-run home run, tying the ballgame.
The Red Storm added two more runs in the fourth, using a pair of walks and a trio of singles to take a 4-2 advantage.
In the seesawing clash, UAlbany responded with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead, 5-4. Freshman Shawn Blake reached on an error, Matt Hinchy singled to third, and Lepre's sac fly brought in the first run of the frame. After a call to the bullpen, replacing starter Alex Katz with Kevin Torres, Eric Mueller reached on a hit by pitch, and Trevor DeMerritt came through with a two-run scoring single through the right side.
However, that would be the Danes' final lead of the game, as St. John's plated two unearned runs in the seventh, scoring on a passed ball and a sac fly.
The Red Storm added a run in the eighth on a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly, and another insurance run in the ninth on a single and a wild pitch.
Reliever Kevin Torres (1-0) earned the win, throwing just a third of an inning in the sixth before St. John's took the lead for good in the seventh.
UAlbany reliever Cameron Sorgie took the loss (0-3), allowing two unearned runs in 1.1 innings, while striking out two. Starter J.T. Genovese went four frames, allowing four runs (three earned) and five hits, while striking out three.
Offensively, the Danes totaled seven hits led by Hinchy's 2-for-4 day with a run scored.
Up next, the Great Danes travel to Binghamton for a three-game conference series Saturday and Sunday.
