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NEW YORK – Columbia and Army combined for 23 runs on 20 hits in a wild mid-week affair in a 13-10 victory in eight innings for the Lions at Robertson Field at Satow Stadium. The game was called due to darkness.
The Lions (8-9) will head into conference play riding a five-game winning streak.
The Lions scored three times in the first inning while recording just one hit. With runners on second and third, Jordan Serena walked and a wild pitch on ball four brought in Will Savage to open the scoring. Gus Craig earned an RBI with a bases loaded walk and David Vandercook made it 3-0 with an RBI fielder's choice.
A solo homer from Mark McCants put the Black Knights (10-9) on the board in the top of the second, but Columbia answered with another three-spot when its turn came up.
Savage doubled in Lane Robinette to extend the margin to 4-1. Later in the frame, Jordan Serena came home on a throwing error and Gus Craig tripled down the rightfield line, putting the Lions ahead, 6-1.
Two hit batters loaded the bases for Army in the third and a bloop single that fell in short left, brought in a pair of runs, cutting the deficit to 6-3.
The Black Knights evened things up in the fourth, using three hits and an error to tie things up momentarily.
Joey Falcone doubled off the wall in straightaway centerfield and later scored on a John Kinne single to put Columbia back on top, 7-6. A hit batter loaded the bases for Nick Maguire, who dropped in a double in short center to bring in all three runs and extend the lead to four.
Army used a solo shot from Jacob Page in the top of the stanza to pull within, 10-7, but an opposite field single by Serena plated Savage and a balk and passed ball made it a five-run ballgame.
The Black Knights had one more chance in the top of the eighth when a leadoff walk and single brought the tying run to the plate. However, Craig made the defensive play of the day, catching a fly ball in rightfield and gunning down the runner at the plate for key double play. First-year Harrisen Egly was then able to work around another base-hit and get the final out for his second save of the season.
With runners on first and second, Serena hit a grounder to third. The third baseman touched the bag, but threw away his throw to first trying to complete a double play. Shane Adams came around all the way from first to cap the scoring.
The Black Knights proceeded to score twice in the sixth and once in the seventh, capitalizing on three errors in the two frames, putting the score at 12-10, but the Lions added one more insurance run after the seventh-inning stretch.
Maguire and Serena each finished 3-for-4 from the dish.
Ryan Marks picked up the win (1-2), going two innings and giving up one earned run on two hits.
The Lions open up Ivy League play with a doubleheader against Dartmouth this Saturday, March 28 at Robertson Field at Satow Stadium. First pitch of game one is slated for 12 p.m.
