Ellin scores hat trick in Raptors' loss to RIT

Recap, photo courtesy of Bard College

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - The Bard College women's lacrosse team hung in there with the highest-powered offense in the Liberty League, but Rochester Institute of Technology eventually shook loose and defeated the Raptors, 20-8, on Saturday afternoon.

RIT scored in the first minute, but back-to-back goals by Bard junior Nicole Ellin gave the Raptors a 2-1 lead five minutes into the game. Even after RIT scored four in a row, Casey Witte cashed in on a nice feed from Caleigh DeCaprio, and it was 5-3 with 21 minutes left in the first half.

The Tigers responded with a vengeance this time, scoring nine straight goals, to make it 14-3 at halftime.

Freshman Sophie Niles scored to open the second half, and Melissa Rosenthal followed with one of her own, but 14-5 was as close as Bard could get the rest of the way. RIT outscored Bard, 6-5, in the second half.

Freshman Kendall Jones (Palmyra, NY) led RIT with five goals. The Tigers are 6-6 overall and 4-3 in Liberty League play.

Ellin had a hat trick for Bard with three goals. Marion Adams had a goal and an assist, and single goals came from Witte, Niles, Rosenthal and Dylan McDonald. McDonald added three draw controls, Rosenthal had three ground balls and Kaylynn Tran finished with eight saves.

Bard (2-6, 0-5) will play its final non-league game of the season at Southern Vermont on Tuesday.

Bard freshman scores five goals in loss to Clarkson

Recap, photo courtesy of Bard

POTSDAM, N.Y. - Bard College freshman Peter Sojka scored five goals in Bard's 16-7 Liberty League men's lacrosse loss to Clarkson on Saturday.

The Raptors scored first, about three minutes into the game, when Blake Burnley got one behind Clarkson starter Kevin Dyckman (Cortlandt Manor, NY). But the Golden Knights got goals from four different players, and it was 4-1 after one quarter.

Sojka's first goas of the game cut the deficit to 4-2 just under five minutes into the second quarter, but Clarkson scored four straight, including one with 12 seconds left in the second quarter, and it was 8-2 at halftime.

Clarkson scored the first two goals of the second half to make it 10-2. Sojka and Corey Rich each scored in the third quarter, and the hosts led 12-4 going into the fourth quarter. It was 16-4 when Sojka scored three straight goals, including a man-up goal with 10 seconds left in the game.

Clarkson outshot Bard, 64-15, collected 47 ground balls to 24 for Bard, and won 24 of 27 faceoffs. Sophomore Conor Bartlett (Syracuse, NY) led the Golden Knights with four goals and three assists.

Sojka, Rich and Burnley accounted for all the Bard goals, while Devon Wall added an assist. Lyle Healey made 24 saves and led the team with seven ground balls.

Up next, Bard will play it's first game on the new turf at Ferrari Field on Wednesday night, when Liberty League foe Union visits. Follow it live right here.

Raptors drop pair to Skidmore to open Liberty League play

Recap, photo courtesy of Bard College

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - The Bard College baseball team was swept in a pair of games Friday afternoon, as the team began Liberty League play against Skidmore College.

The Raptors fell 2-1 in extra innings in Game 1, before the Thoroghbreeds of Skidmore cruised to an 11-1 victory in Game 2.

With the losses, Bard dropped to 6-9 overall and 0-2 in the Liberty League, while Skidmore improved to 8-7 and 3-3.

In the first game, Bard fell in heartbreaking fashion, as Will Porter's (Charlotte, VT) walk-off single handed the Throughbreeds the victory in the bottom of the ninth. Porter drilled a 2-out, 1-0 pitch down the left field line, easily scoring the man on third as Bard had no play on the play.

The winning run came after the Thoroughbreeds got on the board first in the contest, following a fourth-inning Jake Hardy (Briarcliff Manor, NY) RBI single.

The Raptors' lone run came in the fifth, as Ryan Chipman scored following a fielding error on Skidmore.

On the mound, Evan Richardson finished with perhaps his best outing of the young season, as he struck out nine over seven innings of work and allowed just one run on five hits.

Skidmore's starter meanwhile, Spencer Anderson (Newton, MA), was also dealing on the day.  He allowed just one unearned run on five hits over his 5.2 innings.

Both pitchers finished with no decisions however, as Tim Allen (Smithfield, RI) collected the win for Skidmore and Alex Bunnell received the loss for Bard.

Chipman and Rory Maglich each finished with two hits in Game 1.

In Game 2, things got away from Bard early. Skidmore scored one in the first, six in the second and four in the third as the offense came alive for the guests.

Matt Lasky scored on an error in the fourth inning for Bard's one run. Steve Marotta collected the loss for the Raptors, while Jacob Berish (Sharon, MA) finished with the win.

David Schlosser picked up two hits, including a triple, while Esteban Rivera walked twice in the effort.

Pat Geiger (East Brunswick, NJ) went 3-for-4 with a triple and four RBIs in the win.

Bard defeated by New Paltz

Casey Witte scored three goals against New Paltz on Tuesday.

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. - The Bard College women's lacrosse team lost to SUNY New Paltz, 15-5, in a non-league game on Tuesday afternoon.

Goals by Casey Witte and Marion Adams kept Bard close early, as the hosts were up, 3-2, with just under 20 minutes left in the first half. But the Hawks (4-2) scored seven of the last eight goals of the half to take a 10-3 lead into halftime. New Paltz outscored Bard 5-2 in the second half.

New Paltz had an edge in shots on goal (22-21), ground balls (26-24) and draw controls (13-9), but it was sophomore goalie Nicole Sheintul (Baldwin, NY) who made a big difference, stopping 16 shots.

Amy Hofer (Selden, NY) led the winners with four goals an an assist; Keydy Espinoza (Brentwood, NY) and Kayla Massena (Cicero, NY) added three goals apiece.

Bard got three goals from Casey Witte, and goal and an assist from Marion Adams, a goal from Dylan McDonald, two assists from Nicole Ellin and one assist from Caleigh DeCaprio. McDonald also had five draw controls and five ground balls, and Melissa Rosenthal caused three turnovers. Kaylynn Tran finished with seven saves.

The Raptors next play at Liberty League game at Skidmore on Saturday afternoon. Follow it live right here.

Bard falls to No. 16 St. Lawrence

Freshman Jeremy Awe scored his fifth goal of the season on Saturday.

Recap, Photo Courtesy: Bard College

KINGSTON, N.Y. - The Bard College men's lacrosse team lost to 16th-ranked St. Lawrence University, 20-6, in a Liberty League game on Saturday afternoon.

The Saints improved to 5-1 overall, 2-0 in conference play. Bard fell to 2-4, 0-2.

St. Lawrence dominated from the start, outshooting Bard 29-6 in the first half and winning 14-of-17 faceoffs.

It was 4-0 after one quarter, and it was 8-0 when Bard got on the board late in the second quarter, thanks to an unassisted goal by freshman Peter Sojka. Just over a minute later, Blake Burnley scored a man-up goal off an assist from Devon Wall. And with about three minutes left in the half, a brilliant individual effort by Wall brought Bard another goal. He caused a turnover at midfield, scooped up the ground ball, ran the transition, fed John Palermo and Palermo scored to make it 9-3.

The Saints' previous two opponents were held scoreless in the first half, and Bard had three goals in the second quarter, but St. Lawrence had eight during that stretch, and it was 12-3 at halftime. St. Lawrence outscored Bard 8-3 in the second half.

The visitors got four goal from Brian Cunningham (Auburn, NY), and three goals apiece from Mike Donnelly (Mansfield, MA) and Conor Caffrey (Scituate, MA).

Bard got single goals from Sojka, Palermo, Burnley, Corey Rich, Emmet O'Connell and Jeremy Awe. Wall had two assists. William Baffuto caused two turnovers and scooped three ground balls. Lyle Healey made 20 saves.

Up next for Bard is a road game at top-ranked RIT next weekend. Follow it live right here.

Raptors lose at Clarkson

Hannah Baird and the Raptors next play at New Paltz on Tuesday.

Recap, Photo Courtesy: Bard College

POTSDAM, N.Y. - The Bard College women's lacrosse team lost at Clarkson University, 19-3, in a Liberty League game on Saturday afternoon.

Clarkson, 6-2 overall and 1-1 in the Liberty League, scored the first nine goals of the game and led, 13-1, at halftime. The Golden Knights won 12 of 15 draws in the first half and held Bard to 6-of-14 on clears.

Sophomore Emma Andrews (Mexico, NY) led Clarkson with four goals, while Katie Sergeant (Ontario, NY) and Jayd Boytos (Watertown, NY) scored three goals apiece.

Bard (2-2, 0-2 Liberty League) got a pair of goals from Dylan McDonald, one goal from Nicole Ellin, and one assist from Melissa Rosenthal. McDonald and Ellin caused two turnovers apiece, and Ellin led the team with four ground balls. Kaylynn Tran started and made 16 saves; freshman Izabel Kickner played just over nine minutes and made one save.

Up next for Bard is a non-league game at New Paltz on Tuesday afternoon. Follow it via Live Stats right here.

Zigner, Ortega power Raptors to doubleheader sweep over Norwich

Kyle Zigner threw a complete-game shutout in a win over Norwich Sunday.

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - Two dominating complete games from starting pitchers, Kyle Zigner and Frank Ortega, propelled the Bard College baseball team to a pair of wins Sunday afternoon. 

The Raptors topped Norwich University, 1-0, in a defensive struggle to open the day, before the offense exploded for an 8-1 victory in Game Two. With the wins, Bard improved to 6-7 on the year, while the Cadets of Norwich fell to 0-14.

In Game One, the Raptors struck early in the first inning, thanks to an RBI single from Dillon Daine. Daine drove in David Schlosser, who tripled in the previous at-bat for the game's only run.

That was all junior Kyle Zigner needed on the afternoon, as he was dealing from the first pitch. The right-hander went all seven innings, fanned three and allowed just five hits in the win. 

The only time the Cadets even threatened the Raptors came in the top of the second, as they were able to get a man on third with just one out. However, Zigner responded by striking out the next two batters, leaving the guests with no chance to tie the contest.

On the other side, Jake Ryan (Arlington, MA) pitched a great game for the Cadets in the loss. He finished with a complete-game and allowed just three hits, while striking out four. The first inning triple and RBI single were his only blemishes on the day.

In Game Two, things continued to click for the Raptors' pitching staff. 

Frank Ortega pitched a complete-game for Bard, allowing just one run on four hits. He finished with six strikeouts and tied the season-high for wins in a year with his third win of 2018. 

Much like the first game, the Raptors were in control from the get-go in Game Two.

After Bard and Norwich traded runs on wild pitches to open the game, Daine smacked another RBI single in the bottom of the third to put the Raptors up. From there, the hosts answered with six more runs to easily secure the win.

Freshman Jordan Myers went 2-for-3 in the game with three RBIs, while Rory Maglich collected two hits and two RBIs.

Daine, Schlosser, Matt Lasky and Esteban Rivera also smacked two hits each in the win.

The Raptors also set a new single-game record with nine stolen bases in the Game Two win, as Norwich's starting pitcher, Ed Gates (Griswold, CT) failed to hold the runners all game long. 

Up next for the Raptors is Liberty League Opening Day, as they travel to Skidmore College on March 30th for a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. and you can follow the contests right here.

Bard beaten by Thomas College in Florida finale

Esteban Rivera finished with two doubles, two RBIs and one run against Thomas College.

AUBURNDALE, FL - The Bard College baseball team lost to Thomas College, 12-5, Wednesday afternoon in the team's final game of its Florida spring break trip.

With the loss, the Raptors fell to 4-6 overall on the year and finished with a 2-4 mark during their Sunshine State trip. The Terriers of Thomas College meanwhile, grabbed their first win of the season thanks to their bats coming alive. 

After a scoreless first inning, Thomas exploded for six runs in the bottom of the second, as the team was able to chase Bard starter, Elliott Goldstein, early. 

The Raptors did rally back in the top of the fourth, thanks to a two-run double from Esteban Rivera. Rivera later scored in the inning on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to 6-3, but that was as close as the Raptors would get.

The Terriers scored four runs in the sixth and two more in the eighth to finish the contest with 12 runs on 13 hits.

Mike Pizzuto crushed a solo home run in the seventh inning and later scored on a fielder's choice in the ninth for Bard's other two runs.

Pizzuto went 2-for-4 in the game, with a double and the homer. He also scored three runs and walked once. Rivera finished 2-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs for Bard. 

Lee Perry finished with a single and two walks in the effort.

Darren Kelly (Foxboro, MA) went 4-for-5 with two triples, two RBIs and three runs in the win for Thomas. 

Up next for the Raptors is a return to play in Annandale, as the team will host Castleton University on March 24th at 1 p.m. You can follow that game right here. 

Bantams best Bard, 70-57

Photo, recap courtesy of Bard

REDHOOK, N.Y. - Trinity College used a 24-10 run in the second half to put Bard College away Saturday afternoon, 70-57.

The Raptors (2-5) and Bantams of Trinity (2-3)  began the day trading baskets, as the lead changed seven times within the first five minutes of the game. However, as the first half progressed, Trinity eventually took the lead and didn't relinquish it the rest of the time.

Bard didn't make it easy on the visitors though, remaining within single digits for most of the first half. They got within three points on three separate occasions during the 20-minute frame, but couldn't retake the lead.

As the halftime buzzer sounded, Bard headed to the locker room down ten, 38-28.

Once the second half began, it become the opposite of the first half, as neither side could buy a bucket in the opening minutes. Trinity finally broke that trend with a three pointer, with 17:05 remaining in the half.

Scoring remained the issue for the Raptors most of the second half, as the hosts just couldn't score points. From the beginning of the second half, until 4:24 remained, Bard was outscored, 24-10, as Trinity built a 62-38 lead.

After Trinity blew the game open, Bard started to rally and score, but it came too late.

The Raptors finished the day with three double-digit scorers, as the backcourt duo of Harry Johnson and Chris Lockwood each scored 15 points. Armando Dunn added 14 points. The hosts really shot the three ball well on the day, hitting 60 percent of their attempts, but unfortunately only shot 37 percent from the field overall.

Trinity finished the game shooting 47 percent from the field and were led on the day by Ed Ogundeko (Brooklyn,NY), who scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Eric Gendron (Merrimack, NH) added 15 points.

The Bard College men's basketball team will return to action, December 6th, as it travels to Westfield, MA to take on Westfield State University.

McDonald's golden goal beats Sage in final seconds of double overtime

Dylan McDonald scored the game-winner with 25 seconds left in the second overtime.

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - It was an odd game from the start. So it was fitting that it ended in a most unusual way.

The Bard College women's soccer team edged Sage, 2-1, when Dylan McDonald scored with 25 seconds left in the second overtime on Tuesday night. It was Bard's first overtime victory since 2014.

Sage (6-5) carried play and produced more shots in the first half, but Bard scored, so it was 1-0 at halftime. And Bard (7-4) carried play and produced more shots in the second half, but Sage scored, so it was 1-1 at the end of regulation.

Both teams had chances in both overtimes. Both teams were exhausted at the end. But one team came out on top.

Sage started the game pressing high and controlling the ball at midfield, and the Gators were in