Skidmore wins Liberty League title and readies for NCAA play

TROY, N.Y. – Fourth-seeded Skidmore scored six runs in the fourth inning and freshman starter Derek Stork (Penn Yan, NY/Penn Yan Academy) held second-seeded St. Lawrence University to just three hits as the Thoroughbreds captured the Liberty League Tournament, 11-3, at Robison Field.

The Thoroughbreds, who have won seven straight games, improved to 20-18 and earned an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament, which begins Wednesday at Falcon Park in Auburn, N.Y. The full field will be announced Monday morning. St. Lawrence concludes its season at 21-14.

Stork, a right hander, allowed two runs on three singles and two walks in eight full innings. He struck out six to improve to 3-2. Tom Gruber (Cape Elizabeth, ME/Cape Elizabeth) got the final three outs.

Skidmore first scored in the third inning on a two-run home run by junior shortstop Adam Brown (Morrisonville, NY/Beekmantown).

In the fourth, the first three batters reached with the help of two hit batsmen and an error. Freshman Spencer Marcus (Scarsdale, NY/Scarsdale) followed with a two-run single to center field. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third base, then Anthony Ferri (Jersey City, NJ/Loomis Chaffee) singled home a run and Brown doubled home another. A ground out by Mike Salamone (Albany, NY/Newton South) scored the sixth run of the frame.

The Thoroughbreds scored once in the fifth for a 9-0 lead before St. Lawrence plated two runs in the bottom of the inning. For the Saints, Matt Carrigg’s (Endwell, NY/Maine-Endwell) sacrifice fly to center field scored Joel Kocan (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool), who led off with a single; Scott Redpath (Philadelphia, PA/Chestnut Hill), who had walked, scored on a wild pitch.

A two-run home run by Salamone in the sixth inning returned Skidmore’s lead to nine runs with the score at 11-2.

Brown finished 3 for 5 with three runs and three RBI and Greg Carlow (Mystic, CT/Fitch) was 3 for 5. Matt Pisani (Winchester, MA/Winchester) had two hits and a run in two at-bats and Ferri was 2 for 5 with two runs and an RBI.

St. Lawrence’s Kocan had two of the team’s four hits. Starter Sean Voss (Lockport, NY/Lockport) suffered the loss.

For earlier reports on the Liberty League Tournament, click here.

(Pictured: Mike Salamone of Albany, N.Y.)