Bard Raptors Split with MCLA; Berger Records Win

By Pearllan Cipriano

DAVENPORT, FL – The Bard College baseball team posted a split of its Saturday doubleheader with MCLA as the Raptors won the opener 14-1 before falling to the Trailblazers after a near comeback in the seventh inning, 13-11, at sunny Northeast Regional Park.

Bard allowed just one hit and one run in Game 1 in comparison to the 14 runs and 15 hits it put on the board. Elise Berger was stellar on the mound, throwing 5.0 innings and recording a career-high four strikeouts. Berger did not give up a hit or a run in 18 batters faced. Aidan Kiefer started on the mound for Bard and threw 2.0 innings with three strikeouts. The Raptors drew 14 walks, which is a new program record (the previous record was 11 in 2022).

In game 2, the two teams combined for 24 runs and 23 hits. Jackson Sprinzen threw well coming out of the bullpen, as he threw 3.2 innings and struck out three batters. Sachin Wijay started on the mound for Bard and threw 1.1 innings, while Kane Morgan finished the nightcap with 2.0 innings and had one strikeout.

Bard will be back in action tomorrow as it takes on Salem State for a doubleheader at 11:30 a.m.

Game 1: Bard 14, MCLA 1
All nine Raptor starters had either a run, hit or walk. Sam Dumper had a team-high three walks and added two runs. Gavin Gonzalez, James Karras and Xavier Webb each had three hits, including a double. Gonzalez had a career-high four RBIs, while Webb and Karras had three RBIs each. Andrew Plenn scored a team-high three runs.

The Raptors started hot in the top of the first with a single by Dumper; he was later brought home by Karras who singled through the left side. MCLA answered in the bottom of the first on an RBI groundout. Bard did not bring home another run until the top of the third off a sacrifice fly by Gonzalez to right field to take a 2-1 lead.

The MCLA pitcher and defense held the Raptors in the top of the fourth as they stranded the bases loaded. Bard added some insurance runs in the top of the sixth with an RBI double by Plenn, followed by an RBI single up the middle by Gonzalez. A wild pitch added another run for the Raptors to give them a 5-1 lead heading to the bottom of the sixth. Bard held off MCLA’s offense in the bottom of the sixth with a groundout and back-to-back strikeouts by Berger.

In the top of the seventh, Bard scored nine runs on only two hits. The Raptors were patient at the plate, drawing nine walks in the inning.

Game 2, MCLA 13, Bard 11
Both teams scored runs in the second inning, the Trailblazers scored four in the top, but the Raptors answered back with five in the bottom, including a two-RBI single by Graham Marshall to second base, followed by an RBI single by Famularo and back-to-back bases-loaded walks by Spencer Azzara and Emmett O’Brien. Azzara went 3-3 with a career-high four RBIs and drew two walks.

The Trailblazers tied the game up in the top of the fourth and added another run in the top of the fifth. Bard re-gained the lead in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI triple by Kyle Palleschi and an RBI groundout by Rob DeBello. MCLA added two runs in the sixth and added five more runs in the top of the seventh to take a 13-7 lead. In the bottom of the seventh, Bard scored four times and got the winning run to the plate, but it came up short of a comeback as the tying runs were stranded.