Baseball Sweeps Season-Opening Doubleheader With Finlandia University

Box Scores

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Elms College baseball team swept its 2011 season-opening doubleheader with Finlandia University, posting scores of 8-2 and 8-7 in day one action of the 2011 Gene Cusic Classic in Fort Myers, Fla.

With the wins, Elms begins its season 2-0 overall.

Elms 8, Finlandia 2 (7 innings)

Elms got its season off to a fast start as senior catcher Carm Bonavita (Springfield, Mass.) drove in junior infielder Nicolino Iavicoli (Hampden, Mass.) and sophomore outfielder Stephen Fisher (West Boylston, Mass.) to highlight a three-run first inning.

The Blazers added two in the top of the fifth frame when freshman infielder Anthony Pagano (Cranston, R.I.) cracked a two-run blast to record his first collegiate hit, plating senior infielder Hector Roche (Bronx, N.Y.) who had reached on a double.

Senior infielder Brendan Cordeiro (Berkley, Mass.) delivered a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh, sending Pagano to the plate with Elms' final run to cap the 8-2 victory.

Senior right-hander Matthew Wood (Feeding Hills, Mass.) earned the win striking out six batters in 5.2 innings on the mound. Wood allowed just five hits and one earned run, while junior left-hander Andrew Bunger (Southington, Conn.) pitched the final 1.1 and surrendered just one hit.

Elms 8, Finlandia 7 (7 innings)

In the home half of the first inning of game two, Fisher and Iavicoli recorded back-to-back singles and junior outfielder Donald Morse (Alfred, Maine) pelted an RBI base hit to give the Blazers their first run of the contest. Freshman infielder Zachary Dreher (Naugatuck, Conn.) then hit a sacrifice fly to send Iavicoli across home giving Elms a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the third stanza, Finlandia forged ahead with three runs on three hits and a Blazers' error to set the score at 3-2.

Elms answered with two runs in the bottom of the third when Iavicoli led the frame off with a single and then scored on two-bagger by Roche to knot the game at 3-3. Back-to-back base knocks by junior infielders Reynaldo Rivera (San Juan, Puerto Rico) and Andrew Kravontka (Manchester, Conn.) scored Roche as the Blazers took a 4-3 lead.

The Lions again responded with a four-run fourth inning on the strength of two singles, two walks and an Elms miscue to stake a 7-4 advantage.

In the bottom of the fourth, Fisher reached on an error, advanced 90 feet on a single by Iavicoli and came full circle on a double by Morse to pull Elms to within two at 7-5. Dreher then drew a walk to load the bases and Roche connected for a fielder's choice, scoring Iavicoli to make the score 7-6. Rivera and Kravontka then delivered back-to-back run-scoring singles allowing Elms to take an 8-7 lead.

Blazers' freshman right-handed hurler Curtis LeBeau (Auburn, Mass.) made his first collegiate start on the hill and went 3.1 innings recording five strikeouts in the debut.

Senior southpaw reliever Nick Cordeiro (Berkley, Mass.) pitched the final 3.2 innings surrendering just one hit while striking out five en route to his first win of the season.

Elms returns to Gene Cusic Classic action on Sunday, March 6 when it takes on Thiel College at 10:00 a.m.