Baseball Powers Past Nichols College, 15-2

DUDLEY, Mass. – Elms College freshman right fielder Dan McCormack (Shelton, Conn.) and freshman second baseman Aedin Wadja (Lebanon, Conn.) each drove in four runs to help the Blazers post a 15-2 victory over Nichols College in Tuesday afternoon's non-conference baseball game in Dudley, Mass.

With the win Elms wins its fourth straight game to improve to 9-9 on the season, while Nichols falls to 4-17 overall.

Elms did most of its damage with four runs in the second, three in the fifth, two in the sixth and seventh innings and three more in the top of the ninth.

Elms' sophomore starting pitcher Sean Sinnott (Granby, Conn.) was terrific on the hill en route to his third win of the season (3-2). Sinnott struck out five batters and scattered just three hits in six scoreless innings of work.

Junior reliever Derek Leal (Charlton, Mass.) allowed two runs on five hits and struck out seven in three frames to earn the save for the Blazers – his first of the season.

Elms took a 4-0 lead in the top of the second when freshman third baseman Brian Langdon (Beacon Falls, Conn.) reached on an error allowing two runs to come home before McCormack cracked a two-run single to left field.

Wadja ripped a run-scoring double to center field in the top of the fourth inning to extend the lead to 5-0, and then hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth to plate the first run of that stanza which set the score at 6-0. McCormack later drove in a run with a base hit to center field and senior center fielder Stephen Fisher (West Boylston, Mass.) drove in a run when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to give the Blazers a commanding 8-0 lead.

Two runs in the sixth and two runs in the seventh highlighted by Wadja and sophomore first baseman Geoffrey Frost (Ludlow, Mass.) RBI singles, and a sacrifice fly to center by sophomore catcher Kevin Dwire (Ellington, Conn.) upped the score to 12-0.

Nichols finally pushed two across in the bottom of the eighth inning when Benjamin Harrow (North Reading, Mass.) connected for a run-scoring single, followed by an RBI double to center field by Shayne McNally (Auburn, Mass.) to set the score at 12-2.

Elms responded with three runs in the top of the ninth when Dwire drove in sophomore designated hitter Brady Forrest (Hampden, Mass.), who led off the frame with a base hit, with a sacrifice fly, while Wadja and McCormack each produced RBI singles to set the final tally at 15-2.

Frost finished 3 for 5 at the plate with two runs scored, while Forrest and junior Sam Farnsworth (Westfield, Mass.) split time as the designated hitter and added two hits each. Forrest scored three times while freshman shortstop Nolan Medeiros (Taunton, Mass.) was 1 for 3 with three runs scored in the winning effort.

Chris Bruno (Darien, Conn.) was the Bisons' only batter to record multiple hits going 2 for 3.

Starting pitcher Ray Curto (Braintree, Mass.) suffered the loss to move to 0-1 on the hill. He allowed four runs (zero earned) on four hits.

Elms returns to non-conference play on Thursday, April 11 when it travels to Fitchburg State University for a 3:30 p.m. contest.