Baseball Outlasted By Springfield College, 4-2

Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Elms College sophomore left fielder Donald Morse (Alfred, Maine) earned an RBI walk to highlight a two-run ninth inning, but Springfield College fended off the late Blazers rally to secure a 4-2 victory in Wednesday afternoon’s non-conference baseball game at Berry-Allen Field in Springfield, Mass.

With the loss, Elms falls to 4-9 overall, while Springfield improves to 7-8 on the season.

Trailing 4-0 heading to the top of the ninth frame, Elms’ senior infielder Brian Marrero (Kendall Park, N.J.) reached on an infield error and raced to second to lead off the inning. Junior right fielder Albert Betances (Springfield, Mass.) drew a one-out walk and then he and Marrero each moved into scoring position on a pinch-hit single by sophomore Sean Shanley (Bristol, Conn.) to jam the bases. Morse then earned a RBI base on balls that sent Marrero home with the Blazers’ first run. Following a strikeout, Betances scored on a wild pitch that moved Morse and Shanley into scoring position, but Springfield pitcher Mike Cole (Greenfield, Mass.) forced a groundout to halt the comeback and seal the win for the Pride.

Cole tossed the final four innings, allowing two unearned runs and one hit while striking out four to pick up his first save of the season. Springfield’s Ryan White (Colchester, Conn.) pitched five scoreless innings to start the game, surrendering just four hits to improve to 2-1 on the season.

Elms’ freshman starter John Russell (Springfield, Mass.) allowed two unearned runs in four innings of work on the hill. The first-year hurler fanned two batters in the losing effort and is now 0-2 on the season.

Springfield posted a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning when Joe Kropa (Cranford, N.J.) smacked a two-out bases loaded single down the right field line that plated two runs.

The Pride added to its lead in the home half of the fourth when Kropa delivered an RBI groundout, making the score 3-0.

Elms freshman pitcher Ryan Burnette (Chicopee, Mass.) entered in relief of Russell in the fifth and pitched two scoreless innings, before sophomore southpaw Zach LeBarron (Bennington, Vt.) provided one frame of scoreless pitching.

Springfield scored its final run of the contest on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Karl Quist (New Preston, Conn.), lifting the advantage to 4-0.

Betances, Shanley, junior shortstop Brendan Cordeiro (Berkley, Mass.), sophomore second baseman Nicolino Iavicoli (Hampden, Mass.), and sophomore catcher Reynaldo Rivera (San Juan, Puerto Rico) each connected for a hit in the losing effort.

Kropa finished 2 for 4 with three RBI for the Pride, while Peter Calandra (Camden, N.Y.) and Michael Micik (Greenwich, Conn.) contributed two hits each in the win.

Elms opens its New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) slate on Thursday, April 1 when it hosts Mitchell College. First-pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. at MacKenzie Stadium in Holyoke, Mass.