Baseball Splits NECC Action With Southern Vermont College

Box Scores

HOLYOKE, Mass. – Elms College junior shortstop Brendan Cordeiro (Berkley, Mass.) went 4 for 5 with two RBI and two runs scored in the continuation of Sunday's seven-inning suspended game, and sophomore designated hitter Nicolino Iavicoli (Hamden, Conn.) was 3 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI in the nine-inning game to help the Blazers to a split in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) baseball action against Southern Vermont College at MacKenzie Stadium in Holyoke, Mass.

With the split Elms improves to 7-17 overall, 3-6 in league play, while Southern Vermont moves to 10-13 on the season, 4-5 in the NECC.

Elms won the continuation of Sunday's game, 9-3 in seven innings, before falling 8-7 in the nine-inning contest.

Game One – Elms 9, Southern Vermont 3 (7 innings)

Leading 1-0 in the top of the fourth, Elms plated four runs in the inning to take a 5-0 lead. Cordeiro singled to right center and then advanced to second on a miscue by the Mountaineers' pitcher. Freshman center fielder Stephen Fisher (West Boylston, Mass.) drew a free pass before senior third baseman Mike Andrews (Greenfield, Mass.) pounded out an infield single to load the bases. Iavicoli singled in the first run before Fisher raced home on a passed ball. Junior right fielder Albert Betances (Springfield, Mass.) then cracked a double to left field driving in two runs to make the score 5-0.

The Blazers upped its lead to 6-0 in the bottom of the fourth frame before Southern Vermont struck for two runs to make the score 6-2. Keith Diotte (Cambridge, N.Y.) delivered a run scoring single in the inning and then advanced on the throw in from the outfield which allowed a second run to score.

Elms answered with a three-run fifth frame when junior catcher Carm Bonavita (Springfield, Mass.) earned a two-out walk and then moved all the way to third on a single through the right side by sophomore second baseman Andrew Kravontka (Manchester, Conn.). Both runners then came full circle on a single through the left side by Cordeiro who then trotted home on a three-bagger to right field by Fisher, upping the advantage to 9-2.

The Mountaineers got a run back in the bottom of the sixth stanza on the strength of an RBI double by Diotte, but could get no closer as sophomore pitcher Andrew Bunger (Southington, Conn.), who entered in relief following the hit, held Southern Vermont scoreless over the next 1.2 innings to help Elms seal the victory.

Blazers' left-handed starter Zach LeBarron (Bennington, Vt.) struck out six batters en route to his second win of the season (2-3), while Southern Vermont starter Connor Murray (Litchfield, Conn.) suffered the loss and falls to 0-3 overall.

Betances finished with two RBI, Bonavita scored twice, and sophomore left fielder Donald Morse (Alfred, Maine) smacked two hits to pace the Blazers in victory.

Game Two – Southern Vermont 8, Elms 7

Trailing 8-5 in bottom of the seventh inning, Elms pulled to within one when Andrews drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second when Iavicoli reached on an error. A well-executed double-steal with one out gave the Blazers a pair of runners in scoring position for Morse who laced a single into left field, scoring both runners to make the score 8-7. Southern Vermont reliever Ben Naaktgeboren (Cambridge, N.Y.) replaced Will Warner (Waterford, Conn.) on the hill and was able to get the Mountaineers out of the jam without further damage.

Naaktgeboren pitched a complete inning before Dave Gage (Gloversville, N.Y.) entered and tossed the final 1.2 innings. Gage gave up just one hit and struck out one hitter to help the Mountaineers seal its narrow victory.

Warner pitched 1.2 frames of relief and picked up the win to move to 1-1 on the season, while Elms junior southpaw reliever Nick Cordeiro (Berkley, Mass.), who entered in the sixth inning, suffered the loss and falls to 0-1 on the season.

The Blazers took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth, before tacking on three more runs on an RBI double by Andrews and a pair of run-scoring base hits by Betances and junior right fielder Robert Reyome (Westfield, Mass.) to extend the lead to 5-1.

Southern Vermont answered with a five-run top of the sixth highlighted by a two run double by Joel DeFedele (N. Kingstown, R.I.), a pair of sacrifice flies by Diotte and Gage, and an RBI base hit off the bat of Brett Pawlak (Ansonia, Conn.) to give the Mountaineers a slim 6-5 edge.

Elms senior starter Mike Bieber (Wading River, N.Y.) was solid on the mound, striking out eight batters through five innings before running into trouble in the sixth.

Betances and Reyome finished with two hits each, while Brendan Cordeiro, Fisher, Andrews and Morse drew two walks each in the losing effort.

Corey Armstrong (Bennington, Vt.) and Danny Vardaro (Colonie, N.Y.) each went 3 for 5 at the plate for Southern Vermont, while Vardaro scored three runs and Armstrong scored two.

Elms returns to non-conference action on Wednesday, April 21 for a 3:00 p.m. contest at Framingham State College.