Baseball Sails By Springfield, 11-5
BASEBALL SAILS BY SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE, 11-5
SPRINGFIELD, MA, April 1, 2009 - Elms College sophomore first baseman Albert Betances (Haverhill, MA) went 4 for 5 and the Blazers used a five-run sixth inning to break open a one-run game and defeat Springfield College 11-5 in Wednesday's non-conference baseball game at Berry-Allen Field.
The win was the first for Elms College in five all-time meetings against Springfield, as the Blazers improved to 7-8. Elms College is already more than halfway to equaling its program-record total of 12 wins - set last season.
Springfield, meanwhile, lost its 10 straight game and fell to 3-14.
In the pivotal sixth inning, Elms College scored five times to break away from a slim 6-5 lead and open up a six-run advantage. The Blazers used clutch back-to-back RBI doubles from junior designated hitter Justin Jacobs (Springhill, FL) and Betances to build the insurmountable 11-5 advantage.
Junior starter Mike Bieber (Wading River, NY) was the winning pitcher as he went 5 1/3 innings, allowing five runs, four earned, off just three hits while striking out six to even his record at 2-2 on the year.
Sophomore Nick Cordeiro (Berkley, MA) and freshman Zach LeBarron (Bennington, VT) were virtually lights-out for the Blazers, as the two combined to throw 3.2 innings of scoreless relief and allowed just two hits and struck out four to bolster the Blazers' winning effort.
Sophomore shortstop Jonathan Ortiz (Carolina, Puerto Rico) went 3 for 6 with three runs scored for the Blazers, who pounded out 17 hits - just two shy of their season-high 19 set against SUNY-Cobleskill earlier this season.
The Blazers plated the first run in the game in the bottom of the second as sophomore center fielder Bob Reyome (Westfield, MA) delivered a RBI sac fly to plate Jacobs.
The Pride, serving as the visitors despite playing at Berry-Allen Field, responded with three runs in the third. With the bases loaded, junior designated hitter Travis Turgeon (Norwich, CT) was hit by a pitch, forcing in freshman right fielder Joe Rivera (East Hartford, CT) from third. Some heads up base running from junior left fielder Joe Kropa (Cranford, NJ) accounted for Springfield's second run as he crossed the plate on a wild pitch. Senior center fielder Drew Michael (Longmeadow, MA) then gave the Pride its third run of the frame, as he scored from third on a passed ball.
With two outs in the bottom of the third, the Blazers scored four runs to regain a 5-3 lead. Elms College strung together three-straight singles to jump start its offense en route to a four-run inning. Jacobs and freshman center fielder Donald Morse (Alfred, ME) each had RBI singles for the Blazers to highlight its offense.
Karl Quist cut the Pride's deficit to one as he started the fourth inning off with a towering shot to right field for his first collegiate home run. However, Elms tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth as it took advantage of a throwing error by Springfield's catcher. As Zach Cerra stole second, Quist's throw was off the mark, allowing Ortiz to score his second run of the game.
The Pride continued to battle as it made it a 6-5 game after Kropa led off the stanza with a solo homer.
Junior pitcher Ryan White (Colchester, CT) took the loss for SC as he lasted just four innings, giving up six runs, three earned, while scattering eight hits and striking out three. Springfield had just five hits in the game, with two coming from Kropa. The Pride struggled in the field, committing four errors.
Elms College returns to New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) play when it hosts Becker in a doubleheader at MacKenzie Stadium on Saturday, April 4. Game one of the twinbill is 1:00 p.m.