Baseball Splits NECC Doubleheader With Newbury College

Box Scores

HOLYOKE, Mass. – Elms College freshman center fielder Stephen Fisher (West Boylston, Mass.) drove in four runs in the second game of the doubleheader and Newbury College scored nine runs in the top of the seventh of game one to help the Blazers and Nighthawks play to a split in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) baseball action at MacKenzie Stadium in Holyoke, Mass.

Elms moves to 9-19 overall, 4-7 in league play, while Newbury improves to 6-21 on the season, 4-7 in NECC action.

Game One – Newbury 11, Elms 5

Trailing 5-2 heading to the top of the seventh inning, Newbury took flight, scoring nine runs in the frame to stake an 11-5 lead. Patrick Curry (Hampstead, N.H.) and Joseph Herer (Needham, Mass.) led off with back-to-back walks before Michael Dean (Wethersfield, Conn.) started the scoring spree with an RBI base hit to left field that sent two runs to the plate, the second of which resulted from an outfield throwing error. A one-out single by Joseph Guidi (Derry, N.H.) knocked in the third run of the inning, knotting the game at 5-5 before Kyle Schiavone (Wethersfield, Conn.) connected for a two-bagger to bring home the fourth run. Justin MacCutcheon (Woburn, Mass.) delivered a pinch-hit RBI single and Russell DeMatties (Hamden, Conn.) reached on an error that allowed two runs to score to give the Nighthawks an 8-5 lead. Two batters later, Dean drilled a bases loaded single, and an infield error allowed all three runs to come in, giving Newbury an 11-5 advantage.

Matthew Clawson (Tolland, Conn.) pitched the final inning for Newbury and limited the Blazers to one hit to help seal the come-from-behind victory. Nighthawks' starter Zach Griesche (Niskayuna, N.Y.) tossed the first six innings to earn the win, while Elms' junior reliever Nick Cordeiro (Berkley, Mass.) suffered the loss.

Elms scored twice in the bottom of the second thanks to a two-run round-tripper to left field from sophomore left fielder Donald Morse (Alfred, Maine.). Newbury answered with two runs of its own in the top of the third on the strength of a two-run single up the middle by Dean.

An RBI groundout by junior first baseman Albert Betances (Springfield, Mass.) in the home half of the third put the Blazers up 3-2, and an RBI double by junior shortstop Brendan Cordeiro (Berkley, Mass.) and a run-scoring single by senior third baseman Mike Andrews (Greenfield, Mass.) extended the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth.

Game Two – Elms 13, Newbury 3

Elms opened the second game with three runs in the first stanza highlighted by a lead off triple by Cordeiro. Fisher followed with an RBI single and then advanced to third on a double down the right field line by Andrews. Sophomore second baseman Nicolino Iavicoli (Hamden, Conn.) doubled him in lifting the Blazers' lead to 3-0. Iavicoli then stole third but could not come the final 90 feet and was stranded on third.

An RBI single by Clawson, and run-scoring walk issued to Herer, and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Curry evened the contest at 3-3 in the Newbury second inning.

Elms regained the lead in the bottom of the second when Fisher cranked a two-run double to left center, scoring Cordeiro and junior right fielder Robert Reyome (Westfield, Mass.) who reached via walk and fielder's choice respectively. Iavicoli then drew a two-out walk and a passed ball allowed Fisher to move to third and Iavicoli to move to second for Betances who cleared the bases with a single through the left side giving the Blazers a 7-3 lead.

Elms tacked on a run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Iavicoli, and added two scores in the bottom of the fifth on a run-scoring double by Cordeiro and an RBI single by Fisher. Elms struck three more times in the bottom of the sixth, highlighted by RBI singles from junior catcher Carm Bonavita (Springfield, Mass.) and Cordeiro, and a sacrifice fly by Reyome to give Elms a 13-3 victory.

Elms senior righty Mike Bieber (Wading River, N.Y.) pitched the first six innings and earned his first victory of the season to move to 1-4 overall. Freshman reliever Ryan Burnette (Chicopee, Mass.) tossed the final frame on the hill allowing two hits and no runs.

Newbury starter Christopher Ninteau (Lisbon, Conn.) lasted just 1.2 innings and suffered the loss.  

Cordeiro, Fisher, and Bonavita finished with three hits each in the second game, while Cordeiro scored three times. Iavicoli drove in three runs in the winning effort.

Guidi led the Nighthawks' offensive attack with a 3 for 4 game four output, while Dean added two hits in the loss.

Elms and Newbury will play the rubber game of the series on Sunday, April 25 in Brockton, Mass. Game time is set for 5:00 p.m.