FARMINGDALE, N.Y. - The Western New England College baseball team bowed out of the NCAA Division III New York Regional Championship after suffering a 5-2 loss to Clarkson in its second game Friday afternoon (May 15).
The Golden Bears, seeded fifth in the tournament, finished their season with an outstanding 30-17 record.
Clarkson senior pitcher Austin Pitkin (Dexter, NY) (6-3) had a complete game performance allowing seven hits with seven strikeouts and no walks.
The Golden Eagles scored a pair of unearned runs for a 2-0 lead in the first and went ahead 3-0 in the second on a triple by junior shortstop Steve Magovney (Watertown, NY) and RBI single by senior centerfielder Matt Giordano (Liverpool, NY).
WNEC pulled within a run by scoring twice in the fifth as junior shortstop Justin Walz (Groton, CT) drove in a run with a single. He finished with two hits to cap a four-hit day at the plate.
Clarkson added a couple of big insurance runs in the sixth and seventh.
Giordano (who had three stolen bases), Magovney, senior leftfielder Cale Giroux (Cortland, NY), and freshman catcher Jerry Coleman (Potsdam, NY) each finished with two hits.
For WNEC, sophomore second baseman Andrew Fatse (Hampden, MA) had three hits (including a double), a stolen base, and scored a run.
Freshman pitcher Mark DiTommaso (Hebron, CT) suffered his first loss in seven decisions. He went 5 2/3 innings giving up four runs (two earned) and nine hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
The sixth-seeded Golden Knights (23-20) will meet third-seeded Rensselaer Saturday (May 16).