Daniel Verrastro had a career day in game two with six RBI, and a litany of Saints provided scattered runs, but the St. Lawrence University baseball team dropped both games of their Liberty League opening doubleheader at Freeman Field in Ithaca, N.Y.

St. Lawrence fell to 4-9 on the season, while the Bombers improved to 7-7.

Game one: St. Lawrence 8, Ithaca 18

Game one cruised along through the first three halves of the ballgame with both teams threatening but failing to plate a run. Ithaca would break through at the bottom of the second inning, however, hanging six runs on the board thanks to a bases-loaded hit by pitch and a pair of home runs.

John Donnellan put the Saints' first run on the board in the top of the fourth on a sacrifice fly, but The Bombers put five more runs across home plate to make it 11-1.

The Saints put a few more runs on the board in the top of the fifth thanks to an error and a two-RBI single from the bat of Sean Desjardins making the score 11-4.

The big innings kept coming for Ithaca however as they put six runs up in the bottom of the fifth to take a big lead.

In the top of the sixth, the Saints did some damage with four runs. John Gannon and Landman each produced runs with singles, and a fourth run came across when Brett Federico as the Ithaca defense caught a Saint stealing second.

David Zuhlsdorf started the game for the Saints pitching 3.2 innings striking out six batters. Ryan McCausland, Sam Fosberg, John Igoe, Noah Spaulding, and Shota Kubota combined to finish the game on the hill.

Game two: St. Lawrence 9, Ithaca 18

Ithaca once again got off to a hot start offensively in game two with six runs in the bottom half of the first inning. The barrage was powered by four RBI singles and a triple from the Bomber bats.

Verrastro's big day started in the top of the second when Federico got on base with a single. After stealing second base, a Verrastro single brought his teammate home to make it 6-1.

St. Lawrence then brought the game to within one in the top of the third with four runs. Back-to-back singles from Jack Finnegan and Timothy Connor, and a dropped fly ball to right field loaded the bases leading to a walk to bring a run home. That was followed by a sacrifice fly from Federico and a two-RBI single from Verrastro to make it 6-5.

Ithaca scored once in the third and hung up five points in the bottom of the fourth to bring the game to 12-5. St. Lawrence would answer in the top of the fifth however with a two-RBI single from Verrastro and a Finnegan single to cut the deficit to four.

The Bombers pulled away after that taking away the 18-9 win.

Boden Driscoll got the start in game two pitching three innings with three strikeouts. Joe LaPrade and Owen Gray pitched the next 1.1 innings before Jared Brenner finished off the final 3.2 striking out four batters. 

Next up:

The Saints will wrap up their Liberty League opening series tomorrow when the two teams play a single game starting at 10 a.m.