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Crane Sets Wins Record; Grimes, Ackermann Reach 100 Hits As Baseball Sweeps RIT
5/2/2010
Contact: Ben Badua
Files associated with this release:
Box Score vs. RIT (Game 1) - May 2, 2010
Box Score vs. RIT (Game 2) - May 2, 2010
HOBOKEN, N.J. (May 2, 2010) – Head Coach John Crane of the Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team became the Ducks’ all-time winningest coach following a pair of victories over Empire 8 rival Rochester Institute of Technology. Crane notched his record-setting 179th career win in Stevens’ 6-3 triumph over the Tigers in game one before capturing his 180th victory after a 7-6, nine-inning, walk-off thriller in the nightcap.
“Most importantly, we knew we had to get on a roll in order to make a run at the ECAC (Metro Tournament) and we did that,” said Crane. “As coaches we try to put our players in a position to win and be successful, but I always tell my guys that they’re the ones that have to go out there and play. We’ve had so many great players and great coaches come through (Stevens) over the years, who have gone on to become great people afterward (both on and off the field). The best part about it is that I can share this with them.”
Not to be outdone, juniors Russ Grimes and Denis Ackermann became just the 12th and 13th student-athletes in the program’s 104-year history to collect at least 100 career hits. Grimes went 3-for-8 on the day with a double, an RBI, and two runs scored, while Ackermann finished 3-for-7 with a double and two runs.
Seniors Anthony Andrews, Eddie Daniele, and Mark Rasulo – who were all honored prior to the first game of the doubleheader as part of the Ducks’ Senior Day festivities – combined for six hits, four RBI, and two runs scored. Sophomore Tom Phillips and junior Kenneth Meerendonk each tallied three hits, while sophomores Chris Coutros, Corey Linden, and T.J. Alcorn each recorded a hit on the day.
Stevens returns to action on Thursday, May 6 against SUNY Old Westbury.
Game 1: Stevens 6, RIT 3
RIT junior Justin Smith (Livonia, N.Y.) led things off in the Tiger first with an infield single before back-to-back Ryan Campbell (Brockport, N.Y.) and Geoff Dornes (Landsville, Pa.) base-knocks to center plated the game’s first run. With runners on the corners and no out, Stevens’ senior starter Joe Finora struck out junior Dave Kernan (North Syracuse, N.Y.) before inducing an inning ending double-play.
After a scoreless second, RIT sophomore Kreag Bradley (Victor, N.Y.) led off the third inning with a double to right center before scoring on a throwing error. With runners on first and third and one out, Smith scored on a Kernan groundout to put RIT on top, 3-0.
Phillips helped kick-start the Ducks’ rally in the third, ripping a one-out single to right before stealing second. Ackermann later drew a two-out walk to put runners on first and second for Alcorn who took Tigers’ starter Jeff Bibbens’ (Weedsport, N.Y.) offering over the rightfield wall, knotting the game at three.
RIT would threaten to take the lead in the top of the fourth, putting runners on the corners with two out, but Linden charged a Smith ground ball, making a nice bare-handed play to end the inning.
Stevens responded in the bottom half of the frame, scoring a pair of runs to take a 5-3 advantage. A Linden base-hit to center followed by an Andrews infield single put two aboard with one-out. After a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, Coutros came through with an RBI single to right, putting the Ducks ahead. Stevens later loaded the bases before scoring their second run on a Rasulo sacrifice fly to right.
Finora took over from there, sitting the Tigers down in order in the fifth, tallying a pair of strikeouts, before again retiring the side in the sixth, ending the inning with his fifth strikeout of the afternoon.
The Ducks tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when Andrews, who reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second before scoring on a Phillips double down the rightfield line.
Phillips finished 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, while Alcorn went 1-for-2 with three RBI. Linden, Coutros, and Andrews combined for three hits, three runs, and an RBI in the win.
Dornes led the way for RIT offensively, going 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Bradley and senior Kyle Desrosiers (North Attleboro, Mass.) each went 1-for-3.
Finora scattered six hits, allowing just one earned run, while striking out five in the complete game victory. In the loss, Bibbens surrendered five runs on six hits in just three and a third.
Game 2: Stevens 7, RIT 6 (9 Innings)
The Tigers jumped out to an early lead in game two, scoring a pair of runs on three hits in the top half of the first. Smith led things off with an infield hit before stealing second. Dornes later doubled to right center, plating Smith before scoring on a Hughes single.
Stevens rallied in the bottom of the second, beginning with Meerendonk’s lead-off single back up the middle. Grimes then notched his 100th career hit with a single to left. Meerendonk and Grimes would safely steal second and third before Andrews pushed a hit through the right side, plating a pair of runs.
The Ducks opened up a four run lead in the bottom of the fourth thanks to three hits and a pair of Tigers errors. Meerendonk led things off with a single to left. Grimes then reached on a two-base throwing error before Linden drew a walk to load the bases with nobody out.
Daniele later laced an RBI single to right, scoring Meerendonk, before Grimes crossed the plate on a fielder’s choice. Rasulo then reached on an error that scored Linden before Ackermann drove in Stevens’ fourth run with a single to center.
Hoping to cut into the deficit, Campbell led off the RIT fifth, reaching on a two-base throwing error. After a walk and a groundout, Hughes doubled to right center with runners on second and third, plating a Tiger run. Sophomore Jeffrey Creagh (Binghamton, N.Y.) then ripped a double to center, scoring two, and trimming the lead to 6-5.
Meerendonk again kick-started the Stevens rally in the sixth with a single to left center. Grimes then doubled to right center, knocking out RIT starter Cory Langtry (Moravia, N.Y.), but Tigers’ reliever Brad Wright (Baldswinville, N.Y.) walked Andrews to load the bases.
With the infield in, Wright induced a grounder to Hughes who cut off the lead run at home before fielding a comebacker to catch another would-be Ducks’ run at the plate. Wright then got Phillips to ground out to first to end the Stevens threat and keep RIT within striking distance.
After reaching on a hit-by-pitch to lead off the RIT sixth, Smith advanced to second on a failed pick-off attempt before scoring on Campbell’s RBI single, tying the game.
The game remained tied until the bottom of the ninth, when Ackermann led things off with a double down the right field line – the 100th hit of his career – before scoring on Grimes’ walk-off single to left.
Ackermann, Meerendonk, and Grimes each went 3-for-5 in the win, while Andrews and Rasulo went 2-for-4 and 2-for-5, respectively. Daniele finished 1-for-3 on the afternoon with an RBI. Hughes helped shoulder the Tigers’ offensive burden with a 3-for-5 outing and two RBI, while Creagh, Dornes, and Campbell combined for three hits and four RBI.
Stevens freshman Michael Donovan improved to 2-0 on the year, tossing four strong innings in relief, allowing just one run on two hits, while Wright suffered his first loss of the season, surrendering one run on three hits in four and a third innings.
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