Hobart Baseball Sweeps Doubleheader from RIT

It took three days and two vastly different games, but the Hobart baseball team swept a doubleheader from Liberty League West rival RIT at McDonough Park today. The Statesmen took Game 1 4-3 and then won a wild Game 2 14-10.

GAME 1: A three-day affair

• The doubleheader was originally scheduled for Saturday. The teams were tied at 2 with two outs in the top of the sixth when the game was suspended due to blowing rain and snow.
• On Saturday, Charlie Slaymaker’s two-run single gave RIT the lead in the top of the second inning.
• Hobart manufactured a pair of runs in its half of the inning, taking advantage of two hits and three Tiger errors.
• Today, the Statesmen put together another two-run inning that included a pair of infield singles and two more RIT errors.
• With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Evan Munuz hit a sharp liner that hit off the glove of the diving second baseman to start the rally.
• Jack Farnen followed with an excuse me check swing that put the ball in play like a bunt up the first baseline. The throw from the pitcher was not in time for another infield single. The throw was also off the mark, allowing Munuz to move to third.
• Cole Conte brought him home with a sacrifice fly to right field.
• Farnen stole second and then, after Connor Schmiedlin was hit by a pitch, the duo executed a double steal.
• Sean Garvin hit a grounder to second that was misplayed, allowing Farnen to score. That proved to be a vital insurance run.
• Farnen and Will Jones both collected two hits in the game for Hobart.
• Both starters pitched five innings. Hobart’s Trevor Kimball struck out six, walked only one and allowed five hits. RIT’s Luc Rising struck out five, walked just one and allowed three hits.
• Max Friedlander pitched the final 2 1/3 innings for Hobart to earn the win. He only allowed one run, a ninth inning home run to Jarin Moses.
• Hobart’s pitchers worked into and out of trouble throughout the game, stranding 13 Tigers on base.

GAME 2: Wild Finish

• Hobart won the three-game series with RIT in what can only be described as a wild rubber match.
• The finale saw the teams combine for 24 runs, 18 hits, 18 runners left on base, 16 walks and nine stolen bases.
• Each team used six pitchers. Those 12 hurlers combined for 14 strikeouts.
• Hobart took the lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Garvin.
• The Statesmen tacked on four more runs in the second inning, including a two-run single by Schmiedlin.
• The Tigers cut the home team’s lead to 5-3 in the top of the fifth, but Hobart added six more runs over the next two innings to stretch its advantage to 11-3 through six.
• RIT made another push with five runs in the seventh, trimming its deficit to 11-8.
• In the bottom of the inning, Hobart struck back, using three walks, two hit by pitches, and an infield single to score three runs.
• The Tigers kept things interesting with two runs in the ninth but got no closer.
• Schmiedlin and Garvin both drove in three runs in the game. Garvin was 2-for-4 at the plate, while Schmiedlin went 1-for-3.

PLAYER’S PERSPECTIVE
Postgame interview with Connor Schmiedlin: https://youtu.be/TAdV5S4q22U?si=T9ysju29EckEHNbH

SERIES SNAPSHOT

• Hobart got its first wins over RIT since reinstating its baseball program in 2023, snapping a seven-game slide.
• Since the teams first met on the diamond in 1966, RIT leads the series 29-28.

TWO-FOR-TUESDAY

• Hobart will play another doubleheader on Tuesday, March 25, when the Statesmen welcome Hilbert to McDonough Park. Game 1 is scheduled to start at 4 p.m.