Blazers Pick Up Series Win Vs. Newbury Behind Banas' 7 Scoreless Innings

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – Keven Banas turned in another stellar pitching performance and the Blazer offense backed him up with an eight-run fourth inning as the Elms baseball team took a 9-4 win over Newbury College in New England Collegiate Conference play on Sunday afternoon.

Banas followed up his no-hitter earlier in the week with seven scoreless innings Saturday while recording four strikeouts with just one walk. He gave up just four hits in the game. Cody Fisher came on in the eighth to get the final six outs despite giving up four runs in the eighth.

Banas helped his own cause from the plate, pounding a two-run homer to left during the eight-run fourth. Ben Ross, Alex Hoss, Thomas Slane, and Andy Vasquez also recorded RBIs in the inning. Elms got its ninth run off a Josh Pasini triple in the top of the eighth to put the Blazers ahead 9-0 at the time.

Elms (11-20, 7-8 NECC) picked up 14 hits in Saturday led by a 3-for-4 showing from Pasini. Ross, Hoss, Slane, Banas and Vasquez all finished with two hits and Nathan Ayala added one.

Javi Martinez went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Matthew Peluso hit a 3-run homer to provide the Newbury (12-20, 6-10 NECC) offense. Ryan Mullaly pitched 3.2 innings and gave up five runs in the loss.

On Tuesday, Banas threw just the second no-hitter in Elms history, a seven-inning, six-strikeout gem in a win over Southern Vermont.

Elms will return to action on Tuesday, visiting Springfield College in a non-conference showdown. The Blazers also have out-of-conference meetings at MCLA (April 25) and Eastern Connecticut (April 26) before jumping back into NECC action with the final series of the regular season, a three-game set with Mitchell College beginning with a double-header at Mackenzie Stadium on April 28.