St. Lawrence University Athletics

The Saints got an early three-run home run from senior Max Cloutier, and junior Jack Finnegan provided a decisive two-run triple in the top of the tenth as the St. Lawrence University baseball team defeated Union College 10-7 in extra innings on Friday afternoon at Buck Ewing Field in Schenectady, N.Y.

St. Lawrence improved to 19-14 with the game one series win, while Union fell to 17-19.

After a quiet first inning, Eddie Morrissey singled to Alex Oppenheimer on the hill in the second inning and was followed to first by Ethan Harris, who scorched the first pitch he saw up the middle. The next pitch was hurled to Cloutier, who hit a three-run bomb to left field to make it a 3-0 game. The Saints kept pushing and plated a fourth run when John Gannon singled home Jack Finnegan.

Union came back with three runs in the bottom of the second, and the game stayed at 4-3 until the bottom of the sixth, where the Garnet Chargers got a two-RBI single to take the lead.

Before that, however, Gannon reached a meaningful milestone on his third hit of the game, a double to left center, which served as his 100th career hit with St. Lawrence.

The Scarlet and Brown promptly tied the game in the seventh as Mike Siano reached base and was eventually singled home by Nolan Widrick.

Union regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh as Caleb Doye hit a solo home run, and the Saints' backs were against the wall going into their final outs in the top of the ninth.

Siano once again delivered a key single to start the inning, and he moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Willie Landman eventually came to the dish with two runners on and two out and came through in the clutch as he hammered an 0-1 pitch into left field to extend the game.

With a chance to win in the bottom of the ninth for the home team, Joshua Polumbo orchestrated a one-two-three inning to bring the Saints' bats back to the plate.

In the top of the tenth, Harris reached base on a hit by pitch, and he was singled to second by Cloutier. With two outs away, Finnegan hammered the first pitch he saw into the left-center field gap and legged out a two-RBI triple to give the Saints the lead.

Widrick brought another run home with an RBI single, and Landman struck again with another RBI to make it 10-6 in favor of St. Lawrence.

Union got one run back, but Polumbo shut the door on the hill to secure the win on the hill, bringing his record to 4-1.

David Zuhlsdorf got the start on the mound and pitched seven innings before Polumbo took over for the last three, striking out two batters and giving up no earned runs.

St. Lawrence will be back in action tomorrow and will be looking to close out the best-of-three series. The Saints and Garnet Chargers will begin game one of the possible doubleheader at noon.