Box Score
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – Four pitchers combined to limit Rensselaer to three hits and senior Chris Kenney went 3 for 4 with an RBI to lead Williams to a 5-3 non-conference victory over the Red Hawks at Bobby Coombs Field this afternoon. Williams improves to 17-7 overall, while RPI falls to 19-8 on the season.
Heading into the fourth inning, Williams held a slim 2-1 lead but scored twice in the fifth and once in the sixth to build that into a four-run advantage. Senior Chris Kenney (Walpole, MA) got things going in the fifth with a one-out single to center. With two outs, he stole second and classmate Sean Gleeson (Glen Ridge, NJ) then lined a single to right to score Kenney for a 3-1 lead. Junior Max Pinto (Palo Alto, CA) followed with an RBI-triple to left field.
In the Williams sixth, the Ephs increased their lead again when senior Ryan Fote (Wethersfield, CT) drew a walk and came around to score on an RBI-single by Kenney.
RPI made it a close game again in its half of the seventh beginning with sophomore Eric Redding (Kerhonkson, NY) drawing a lead-off walk. Classmate Jim Devine (Castleton, NY) followed and was hit by a pitch, and both runners moved up on a wild pitch by senior Mike Disner (W. Bloomfield, MI). After a groundout forced Redding at home, senior Jason Pollard (Hudson, NY) ripped a two-run single to center to cut the deficit to 5-3.
Junior Shane Griffin (Hudson, NY) followed with a hard liner to left, but the Red Hawks rally was cut short as freshman Al Mathews (N. Hampton, NY) made the play to end the inning.
Seniors Ryan Scannell (W. Roxbury, MA) and Sam Tuttle (Concord, NH) combined to retire the final six RPI batters in a row to end the game. Pollard finished 2 for 3 with two RBIs for the Red Hawks. Kenney was 3 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored for Williams, while Gleeson was 2 for 3 with an RBI.
Freshman Andrew Mondo (Clifton Park, NY) took the loss for the Red Hawks, going 4 2/3 innings and allowing seven hits and four runs, all earned. He walked three and struck out one. Sophomore Andrew Novick (Hopewell Junction, NY) finished up with 3 1/3 innings of one-run relief. He gave up two hits and one walk while fanning three.
Williams is at Wesleyan Saturday for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. RPI is also back on the diamond on Saturday for a twinbill at Liberty League rival Skidmore (12pm). The series against the Thoroughbreds shifts to Troy with a doubleheader on Sunday at Robison Field (12pm).
