Wood Throws No-Hitter In Baseball's Doubleheader Sweep Over Newbury

BASEBALL SWEEPS NEWBURY IN NECC DOUBLEHEADER

Box Score

HOLYOKE, MA, April 18, 2009 - Sophomore pitcher Matt Wood (Feeding Hills, MA) twirled a no-hitter in the nightcap to lead Elms College to a 6-0 victory and a sweep over Newbury College in Saturday's New England Collegiate Conference baseball doubleheader at MacKenzie Stadium.

Elms College, which rallied from an early three-run deficit to win game one 9-4, snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 12-13 overall and remained in sole possession of third place in the NECC standings at 5-3.

Newbury lost for the fifth time in six games and fell to 3-22, 0-8 NECC.

Wood, who recorded his first collegiate no-hitter, finished with eight strikeouts, as only four Nighthawks reached base. He allowed two early walks, but freshman centerfielder Donald Morse (Alfred, ME) was able to turn a fly out into an inning-ending double play.

The only two Nighthawk base runners to reach all day were on infield errors.  While Wood continued to shut down Newbury, the Blazers' offense was almost equally impressive.

Elms College plated at least one run in every inning except the sixth. With the Blazers leading 1-0 in the second, junior designated hitter Justin Jacobs's (Springhill, FL) led off the frame with a solo home run to push the hosts' advantage to 2-0.

Leading 4-0 in the fifth, the Blazers plated two more runs - both with two outs in the inning.  Following back to back strikeouts to start the inning, sophomore catcher Carm Bonavita (Springfield, MA) singled to right field.  He would advance on a passed ball, and score on a base hit by freshman third baseman Nicolino Iavicoli (Hampden, MA).  Iavicoli played heads up baseball following his single as he advanced to second on the throw home, and when freshman shortstop Jonathan Ortiz (Carolina, Puerto Rico) hit a tricky infield single to the shortstop, Iavicoli came home to complete the 6-0 final.

In the loss, Newbury freshman starting pitcher Alex Chetelat (Farmington, CT) gave up five earned runs, eight hits and struck out five.

In the first game of the twinbill, Elms College battled back from an early 3-0 deficit through two full innings to plate nine runs over the next four frames en route to the 9-4 victory. 

With the Blazers trailing 3-0 in the third inning, Iavicoli smashed a two-RBI triple to right center to cut the deficit to a run.

An inning later, Elms College tied the game on an infield error, and a base hit by senior left fielder Nick Mackowiak (Dudley, MA) ripped a RBI single up the middle to give the Blazers a 4-3 lead.

The Blazers plate two runs in the fifth inning highlighted by an RBI single by Jacobs to extend the lead to 6-3.

Newbury closed to within 6-4 on an unearned run in their half of the sixth before Elms College blew the game wide open in the home half of that inning with three runs.  Ortiz' RBI double down the right field line capped the three-run outburst that put the Blazers ahead for good, 9-4.

In the loss, Newbury freshman pitcher Jorge Pimentel (Winstead, CT) threw six innings giving up six earned runs on 10 hits while walking six, and striking out six.

In the win, Elms College freshman pitcher Zach LeBarron (Bennington, VT) tossed five innings and allowed three earned runs on seven hits, struck out four and issued just one walk.

Elms College returns to action on Sunday, April 19th at UMass-Dartmouth. Game one of the non-conference doubleheader is set for 1:00 p.m.