Baseball Notches Double-Header Split with Daniel Webster College; Sets Program Record for Wins

HOLYOKE, Mass. – The Elms College baseball team earned a double-header split with New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) rival Daniel Webster on Saturday afternoon at MacKenzie Stadium in Holyoke, Mass. The Eagles won game one 8-6 in eight innings and the Blazers earned a 2-0 victory in game two and have now set the program's single-season wins record.

With the split, Elms improves to 19-15 overall, 11-6 in conference play, while Daniel Webster moves to 22-9 overall, 14-3 in NECC action. The sides will play the rubber game of the series on Sunday, April 28 at 12:00 p.m. in Nashua, N.H.

Daniel Webster 8, Elms 6 (8 innings)

In the first game, Daniel Webster plated four runs in the top of the second when Joe Morin (Pelham, N.H.) delivered a sacrifice fly, Darrik Marstaller (Spofford, N.H.) drove in a run on a single, and Kyle Brigham (Hudson, N.H.) connected for a two-run double to left center field.

Elms answered back in the bottom of the second when sophomore right fielder Brady Forrest (Hampden, Mass.) doubled to left center to leadoff the frame and senior center fielder Stephen Fisher (West Boylston, Mass.) earned a walk to give the Blazers two on and none out. A single by sophomore designated hitter Geoffrey Frost (Ludlow, Mass.) brought in Forrest with one out and an RBI fielder's choice by freshman second baseman Aedin Wadja (Lebanon, Conn.) drove in the second run to set the score at 4-2.

The Blazers scored twice more in the bottom of the third highlighted by a run-scoring single by Fisher to even the game at 4-4.

The Eagles climbed ahead in the top of the fourth on a two-run triple by Marstaller before Elms responded with two in the bottom of the sixth on back-to-back RBI base hits by Wadja and freshman left fielder Dan McCormack (Shelton, Conn.) to again bring the game to a tie at 6-6.

After a scoreless seventh frame, Daniel Webster took the lead plating two unearned runs on four Elms errors to set the score at 8-6.

Rich Lizotte (West Warwick, R.I.) then entered to close out the game and allowed a base hit to Fisher before striking out the side to earn his sixth save of the season.

McCormack and Fisher collected two hits each for the Blazers in the loss, while Wadja drove in a pair of runs.

Senior starter John Russell (Springfield, Mass.) pitched 5.0 innings and allowed six runs (four earned) on nine hits and struck out two in the no decision. Freshman reliever Andrew Sadowski (Northampton, Mass.) suffered the loss (0-1) and allowed two unearned runs. He struck out two and surrendered two hits in 2.0 innings of relief.

Devin DeCarteret (Pelham, N.H.) was 3 for 4 at the plate, while Brigham and Marstaller each added two hits. Marstaller drove in three runs and Brigham delivered two RBI to highlight the Eagles' efforts at the plate.

Zack Hurley (Hudson, N.H.) pitched 4.0 innings in relief to improve to 3-1 overall. He allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and fanned three.

Elms 2, Daniel Webster 0

In game two, Elms pushed across its first run in the bottom of the first when junior catcher Zachary Dreher (Naugatuck, Conn.) singled in McCormack. An RBI single by Wadja in the bottom of the second allowed Fisher, who reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the frame, to score the second run of the game and give the Blazers a 2-0 lead.

Elms' junior right-hander Derek Leal (Charlton, Mass.) did the rest, tossing a complete-game, one-hit shutout on the mound to improve to 3-3 overall. He struck out three and walked just one batter in 7.0 innings pitched to help Elms earn the split and set the program's single-season wins record (19).

Syed Ali (Dracut, Mass.) suffered the complete-game loss for the Eagles. He allowed two earned runs on seven hits in six innings pitched to move to 4-2 on the season.

McCormack was 2 for 3 at the dish in game two for the Blazers.