Senior Andrew Circelli hit his conference-leading 11th home run of the year, and third of the weekend, whilst driving in three runs, but the St. Lawrence University baseball team fell short on Sunday afternoon falling 8-7 to Skidmore at Tom Fay Field.

The Scarlet and Brown fell to 17-15 on the year and 7-11 in conference play with the loss, while the Thoroughbreds improved to 23-10-2 and 11-6 in league play.

Today's game took longer to get going than both games yesterday, as the first run came in the bottom of the second. A pair of singles to leadoff the inning from Jimmy Liberatore and Circelli led to an RBI single from Michael Goretti, who scorched a hanging breaking ball up the gut of the defense to break the early tie.

Skidmore counter-punched in the top half of the third scoring three runs on a walk, fielder's choice, and a passed ball.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Saints finally got back on the board as they hung a big inning on the Thoroughbreds.

The inning started with a leadoff walk to Cristian Forgione, which quickly snowballed, as Chris Watson and Nicholas Butler each singled to load the bases with one out away. The first run came aboard, as Caleb Clark drove in Forgione on a fielder's choice. Next up with two outs was Liberatore, who hammered a single to left field to tie the game at three.



Skidmore was forced to send help for their pitcher, who unfortunately for him, was set to face Circelli. The relief pitcher made a grave mistake throwing the same pitch back-to-back, as Circelli smoked the pitch over the opposite field wall for a three-run home run and a 6-3 St. Lawrence lead. The home run was the third of the weekend for the senior and his fourth of the week to give him a league-leading 11 on the year.

The Thoroughbreds slowly chipped away at the lead, eventually tying the game at 6-6 in the top of the eighth with an RBI single and a bases-loaded walk brought two runs home.

With two outs away in the bottom half of the inning, the Scarlet and Brown were looking to jump start their offense as Sean Desjardins roped a single to get on base. Next up was Watson, who was hit by a pitch, but was controversially given strike three as the home plate umpire called the senior for reaching at a hanging curveball.

In the top of the ninth, Skidmore took a two-run lead on a bases-loaded single and a sacrifice fly.

Then came the bottom of the ninth, where the Saints worked their way to a bases-loaded situation. The Saints had two runners aboard with one out and Circelli at the dish. Terrified to pitch to the Liberty League home run king, the Thoroughbreds intentionally walked the bases loaded. Jake Delaney was able to get one runner home with a sacrifice fly, but a strikeout two at-bats later ended the contest.

Michael Hutchins started on the bump in game three and was effective throwing five and a third innings of work. Samuel Fosberg came in for one and two-thirds innings in relief of the starter, and was followed by Michael Watson, who struck out two in his one inning of action. Brenden O'Neil took the loss as the first-year pitcher pitched the ninth inning.

The Scarlet and Brown are done with their Liberty League slate, but not with the regular season, as the Saints will welcome SUNY Plattsburgh to the friendly confines of Tom Fay Field on Wednesday, May 4. The game will start at 3:00 p.m.

St. Lawrence ended up in fifth place in the western division of the Liberty League and as a result will play a best-of-three series against Vassar, the fifth seed in the east, at Tom Fay Field next weekend with dates and times to be announced.