By Nick Pipitone

The Pride baseball team broke a three-game losing skid off the strength of freshman right fielder David Cole’s game-winning single in the bottom of the eighth inning to steal a 6-5 win over Albany.

With the win, the Pride improves to 9-16 overall while its conference record remains at 1-5. Albany drops to 6-6. The Great Danes have yet to open their league play in the American East Conference.

Freshman first baseman Matt Kougnasian tied the score at 5 in the eighth after his sacrifice fly scored catcher Mike Walsh. Cole eventually broke the tie with his two-out RBI-single scoring left fielder Eric Balson.

Sophomore pitcher Patrick Rogers pitched six innings, allowing only one earned run on five hits. Freshman reliever Greg Lane got the win, however, in two innings work, shutting out the Great Danes and allowing only two hits.

Walsh, Balson, and Cole all went 2-for-4 on the day as the Pride totaled 11 hits. Junior third baseman Ricky Caputo, the team leader in batting average, went 1-for-4 with an RBI.

Junior outfielder Eric Balson went 2-for-4 with a double to help lead the Pride past Alban. The win snapped a three-game losing streak. (Photo Courtesy Athletic Dept.)