King, Morse Drive in Three Runs Each, Baseball Thunders Past Nichols College, 15-2

Box Score

DUDLEY, Mass. – Elms College junior left fielder Donald Morse (Alfred, Maine) and freshman right fielder Alex King (Lebanon, Conn.) drove in three runs each to help lift the Blazers to a 15-2 victory over Nichols College in Thursday afternoon's non-conference baseball game in Dudley, Mass.

With the win, Elms evens its record at 8-8 overall, while Nichols moves to 6-9 on the season.

With the score tied at 1-1 after the first inning, Elms took the lead in the top of the second frame when junior designated hitter Reynaldo Rivera (San Juan, Puerto Rico) cracked a leadoff homer to give the Blazers a 2-1 edge. Junior second baseman Andrew Kravontka (Manchester, Conn.) then hit a one-out single, moved to second on a passed ball and then scored on a double by senior catcher Carm Bonavita (Springfield, Mass.) to up the lead to 3-1.

Following three scoreless innings Elms added two more runs in the top of the sixth inning when senior first baseman Hector Roche (Bronx, N.Y.) and Kravontka scored on a two-out, two-run double by King to increase the Blazers' lead to 5-1.

Nichols scored a run in the home half of the sixth frame before Elms exploded for 10 runs over the final three innings including four each in the seventh and ninth.

Morse and King delivered an RBI single each, while Kravontka drove in a run on a fielder's choice to highlight the first of the four-run frames.

Two runs in the top of the eighth gave Elms an 11-2 cushion before Morse and junior third baseman Nicolino Iavicoli (Hampden, Mass.) blasted RBI base hits, while freshman pinch hitter Zachary Dreher (Naugatuck, Conn.) drove in a run on a fielder's choice to spark a four-run ninth inning and cap the scoring with Elms holding a 15-2 advantage.

Elms' freshman relief pitcher Derek Leal (Charlton, Mass.) who pitched the final five innings, retired the Bison in order in the ninth and earned the win to move to 1-1 on the season. Leal allowed just one run on six hits and tossed two strikeouts in the winning effort.

King finished 3 for 4 with three RBI and one run scored, while Morse went 3 for 5 and drove in three runs and scored two to lead Elms' offensive effort.

Iavicoli, Roche, Rivera, Bonavita, and sophomore center fielder Stephen Fisher (West Boylston, Mass.) added two hits each.

Nichols managed two runs on eight hits and used nine pitchers, one in each inning, in the losing effort. Dan Vreeland (Becket, Mass.) suffered the loss and falls to 0-2 on the season.

Elms returns to New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) action with a doubleheader at Newbury College on Saturday, April 9 beginning at 12:00 p.m. The third game will be played in Holyoke, Mass. on Sunday, April 10 at 12:00 p.m. at MacKenzie Stadium.