BENNINGTON, Vt. – A five-run first inning from the Southern Vermont College baseball offense paved the way to an 8-2 win over the visiting Bard College Raptors Thursday afternoon at Bill Epstein Field in non-conference action.
The Mountaineers improve to 8-10 overall on the season (2-1 New England Collegiate Conference) while Bard falls to 3-8 in the program's freshman season.
Southern Vermont starting right-hander Owen Chizek (Gloversville, N.Y.) picked up his first win of the season on the hill (1-1) after going six innings allowing only one run on five hits and striking out seven Bard batters while not walking any. Raptor senior southpaw starter Adam Flowers (Solon, Ohio) took the loss (0-2), giving up seven runs (three earned) on nine hits and four walks; he struck out two in his outing.
A big bottom of the first gave SVC enough cushion for Chizek as the Mountaineers took advantage of a tough sun in the eyes of the Raptor outfielders. A sacrifice fly from senior Corey Armstrong (Bennington, Vt.) scored sophomore centerfielder Sal Sciara (Massapequa, N.Y.) for the first run of the game, and the Mountaineers brought two more in with a double to left by sophomore first baseman Cody LaBadia (Howes Caves, N.Y.) and a Bard error in right field. With runners on second and third, Southern Vermont kept applying pressure with a double steal that saw LaBadia get in before Raptor freshman catcher Alec Montecalvo (Naples, Fla.) could take the pitch and slap the tag, putting SVC ahead 4-0. The final run came when a ball off the bat of freshman catcher Ryan Schuette (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) got lost in the sun and dropped in to plate the fifth Mountaineer run.
Solid defense behind Chizek kept the Raptors off the board through the first five including a 5-4-3 double play in the top of the third. He also helped himself by striking out the side in the fifth. The Mountaineers would also turn two in the top of the sixth to get Chizek out of a jam after letting up his only run and had another in the eighth.
After Southern Vermont tacked up a run in the bottom of the fifth, Bard got itself on the board in the following frame with two-straight singles to start the inning. With runners on first and third, a hard-hit ball back to Chizek allowed sophomore centerfielder Tom Danz (N. Egremont, Mass.) to score and make it a 6-1 ballgame.
Bard came back to make the gap a bit smaller in the top of the eighth, but only managed one run after loading the bases with one out. A grounder to short allowed Danz to score, but as the Mountaineers tried to turn the 6-4-3 double play, Raptor freshman second baseman Ryan Conklin (Sussex, N.J.) went for home and was promptly tagged out by Schuette.
The Mountaineers got the run back in the bottom of the eighth with a Sciara triple to the right field fence to bring in senior catcher substitute Corey D. Briggs (Wood River, R.I.); the inning then ended, however, when Sciara rounded third and tried to retreat but was thrown out when Montecalvo shot it down to freshman shortstop Tyler Emel (Gilbertsville, Pa.) who was covering third.
Senior Dave Northup (Richmond, R.I.) went to the mound from right field for SVC in the top of the ninth to end the game, allowing just one base runner out of the pen.
LaBadia finished 3-4 with two runs scored and an RBI while Schuette was 2-3 with a run batted in and another scored; LaBadia was also 1-2 on stolen base attempts. Sophomore leftfielder Jarod Hayen (Esperance, N.Y.) celebrated his birthday with a 2-4 day at the plate including a double and RBI.
Danz and Emel each went 2-4 for the Raptors, Danz knocking in two while Emel scored one. Montecalvo was 1-4 with the run batted in.
SVC turns back to New England Collegiate Conference action Saturday when Becker College visits the Southern Vermont campus for a 12 and 3 p.m. doubleheader, and Bard looks to its Saturday twin-bill at Purchase College (4/7 p.m.).