Baseball Earns Share Of Inaugural NECC Regular Season Title

ELMS COLLEGE SWEEPS DANIEL WEBSTER; 11-3 AND 16-10
Blazers Earn Share Of Inaugural NECC Regular Season Championship

Box scores

NASHUA, NH, April 25, 2009 - Elms College freshman pitcher Zach LeBarron (Bennington, VT) allowed three runs in a complete-game effort in game one and junior designated hitter Justin Jacobs (Springhill, FL) went for 4 for 6 with seven RBI in the nightcap to carry the Blazers to 11-3 and 16-10 victories over Daniel Webster in Saturday's crucial New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) baseball doubleheader at Harvey Woods Field.

With the sweep, Elms College (15-15 overall, 7-3 NECC) earns a three-way tie for the inaugural NECC regular season title with Becker and Southern Vermont, who split their doubleheader earlier in the day.

Following the completion of all Sunday games, predetermined conference tiebreaking criteria will be used to determine seeding for next weekend's four-team, double-elimination NECC Tournament.

The losses dropped the Eagles to 5-24 overall, 4-6 NECC and eliminates them from post-season contention after Mitchell College's sweep of Newbury College earlier in the day.

In the opener, sophomore second baseman Brendan Cordeiro (Berkley, MA) and freshman third baseman Nicolini Iavicoli (Hampden, MA) led the Blazers with three hits and two RBI, while freshman right fielder Zach Cerra (South Windsor, CT) belted a three-run homer as part of a five-run third that broke open a 2-2 game.

Senior outfielder Nick Mackowiak (Dudley, MA) added three hits in the game and five for the day to record the 100th of his collegiate career.

LeBarron ran his record to 3-2 on the season, as he allowed three runs on four hits, struck out nine and walked nine.

In the nightcap, Jacobs had a three-run double in the first, a run-scoring double in the second, a two-run double in the third and a run-scoring single in the fifth.

Elms College took control early, plating six runs in the first, one in the second and five in the fifth and closed the game out with a run in the fifth and three in the seventh.

The Eagles added four runs in the third and sixth and two runs in the fourth.

Sophomore infielder Hector Roche (Bronx, NY) added two hits and two RBI for the Blazers, while Cerra added his second round tripper of the day - a solo shot in the seventh.

Sophomore pitcher Matt Wood (Feeding Hills, MA) improved to 4-2 on the year, including a perfect 4-0 in the NECC, as he allowed five earned runs on seven hits over five-plus innings, with nine strikeouts and four walks.

Elms College hosts MCLA in a non-conference doubleheader at MacKenzie Stadium on Sunday, April 26. Game one of the scheduled twinbill is 1:00 p.m.