Baseball Splits NECC Twinbill with Newbury

Chris Kendrick (@CKendrick86)

HOLYOKE, Mass. – The Elms College baseball team split a pair of games in a New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) doubleheader against Newbury College at MacKenzie Stadium Thursday afternoon. The Blazers claimed an 8-3 win in game one, and then fell in game two to the Nighthawks, 2-0. The Blazers sit at 13-13 overall, and 8-7 in NECC play, while Newbury sits at 14-18, and 9-9 on the season.

The Nighthawks came out of the gates hot, loading the bases in the first inning, but Elms junior pitcher Tom Weldon (Springfield, Mass.) got out of the jam with a two-out strikeout. The Blazers followed the Nighthawks efforts in the bottom of the frame as senior Brady Forrest (Hampden, Mass.) and sophomore Tim Gelzinis (North Dighton, Mass.) knocked back-to-back singles, and then Forrest came home on an RBI single from sophomore Jordan Zima (Berlin, Conn.), to stake Elms to a 1-0 lead. Newbury evened the score at 1-1 in the top of the third on an RBI single from junior Craig Barnett (Victoria, Australia).

After a scoreless inning, the Blazers regained control as Zima laced a triple into the right field corner, and then raced home on a wild pitch from Newbury senior pitcher Danny Lumb (Stoneham, Mass.), to give Elms a 2-1 advantage. Newbury rallied again in the top of the sixth as senior Cameron D'Agostino (Salisbury, Mass.) drove in sophomore Brian Rhone (North Haven, Mass.) on an RBI groundout, to make it a 2-2 game.

The Blazers broke the game open in the sixth, bring home six runs in the inning. Forrest delivered an RBI single, followed by freshman Andy Vasquez (Queens, N.Y.) scoring on a field error. With the bases loaded, Zima knocked a two-run single into right field, and then sophomore Stephen Harrison (Southbury, Mass.) ripped a two-run triple to deep right field, extending the Elms lead to 8-2. The Nighthawks tacked on their final run in the top of the seventh, en route to the 8-3 victory for Elms.

Weldon (5-2) went the distance for the Blazers, logging his fifth complete game of the season. Weldon allowed three runs, two earned, on nine hits with eight strikeouts. Lumb (3-5) took the loss, surrendering seven runs, five earned, on 10 hits with five strikeouts.

After a scoreless first inning, the Nighthawks struck first in the nightcap as sophomore C.J. Ingraham (Georgetown, Mass.) delivered an RBI single up the middle of the infield, plating junior Ryan Zahornasky (Shelton, Conn.) from third, to stake Newbury to a 1-0 lead. The Nighthawks maintained their 1-0 lead until the seventh inning when they added an insurance run on an RBI single from Ingraham to right field, sending Newbury to the 2-0 win.

Elms junior Andrew Sadowski (4-4; Northampton, Mass.) scattered six hits and two runs with five strikeouts in a complete game effort. Newbury sophomore Ethan Forrest (5-1; East Bridgewater, Mass.) allowed seven hits in seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts.

The Blazers will look to move back into the win column in their home finale doubleheader against Daniel Webster in NECC action Saturday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Newbury faces Maine-Presque Isle in back-to-back doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday.

ELMS BASEBALL